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GEOGRAPHY 


BY  TH* 


MM 


BRACE  SYSTEM/') 


OR 


Horn  to  Study  Geography. 


Nortti  America. 


Prepared  for  the  Use  of  Teacher  and  Pupil 

BY 

COUNTY  SUP’T  JOHN  M.  BOYER 

AND 

JOHN  F.  WICKS. 


CHICAGO  : 

A.  FLANAGAN  Publisher. 


Copyright,  1892, 

By  JOHN  F.  WICKS, 
All  Rights  Reserved. 


Tatl^  of  Copbe^t^. 


Page. 

North  America 7 

United  States 12 

New  England  States— 

Maine . 17 

New  Hampshire *. 23 

Vermont 29 

Massachusetts 34 

Connecticut 42 

Rhode  Island 47 

Eastern  States — 

New  York > 5o 

Sketch  of  the  Hudson  River 62 

Pennsylvania 63 

New  Jersey 74 

Delaware 81 

Maryland 86 

Southern  States— 

Virginia 93 

West  Virginia 100 

North  Carolinia 105 

South  “ 1 13 

Georgia 121 

Florida 130 

Mississippi 139 

Alabama 145 

Louisiana 149 

Texas 158 

Arkansas 172 

Tennessee 177 

Kentucky 222 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Western  States — page. 

Ohio 185 

Sketch  of  Ohio  River 189 

Illinois 200 

Sketch  of  Illinois  River 210 

Michigan 230 

Wisconsin 236 

Minnesota 242 

South  Dakota , 249 

North  “ 257 

Iowa 262 

Nebraska 267 

Kansas 270 

Missouri 274 

California 278 

Oregon 287 

Washington 294 

Montana 298 

Idaho 300 

Wyoming 302 

Nevada 305 

Utah 308 

Colorado 312 

Territories— 

New  Mexico 317 

Arizona 320 

Indian 323 

Oklahoma 324 

Alaska 326 

Canada  and  Newfoundland 334 

Danish  America, 340 

United  States  of  Mexico 347 

Central  America 355 


North  America 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


1.  Boundary,  area  and  population. 

2.  Coast  lines — Directions,  regularity,  indenta- 
tions and  projections. 

3.  Surface,  mountains,  plateaus  and  plains. 

4.  Oceans,  seas,  gulfs  and  bays. 

5.  Dakes,  salt  and  fresh  water. 

6.  Rivers. 

7.  Islands. 

8.  Climate. 

{Animal. 

Vegetable. 

Mineral. 

10.  Political  Divisions. 

11.  Cities. 

12.  Races  of  people. 

13.  Occupations. 

14.  National  wonders. 

North  America  is  a great  peninsula  and  forms  the  north- 
ern and  larger  part  of  the  continent  of  America. 


8 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  extremities 
are 


North — Cape  Barrow,  7J0  24'  N.  Eat. 

East — St.  John’s,  New  Foundland,  520 
3'W.  Long. 

South — Isthmus  of  Panama,  90  40*  N. 
Eat. 


^ West — Isle  of  Attoo,  187*  34'  W.  Long. 


On  account  of  its  more  salubrious  climate,  its  larger  popu- 
lation, its  greater  wealth  of  all  kinds,  and  its  higher  civili- 
zation it  is  much  the  more  important  of  the  two  Americas. 

The  fact  that  it  is  our  home  country  lends  an  additional 
interest  to  its  study.  We  should  know  thoroughly  the  geog- 
raphy of  our  own  country  and  the  principal  facts  about  other 
lands. 

The  “ block  method  ” spoken  of  on  p.  10  of  Vol.  I can  be 
profitably  used  by  pupils  in  written  work  in  bounding  the 
countries  mentioned  in  this  volume. 

Call  the  attention  of  the  pupils  to  the  general  shape  of  the 
different  continents.  Lead  them  to  see  that  North  America 
agrees  with  the  other  continents  in  having  a triangular 
shape.  Lead  them  also  to  find  the  cause  of  the  longest  side 
being  on  the  west  in  each  of  the  Americas. 

Compare  the  two  Americas  in  size,  shape,  indentations, 
rivers,  lakes  and  climate. 

In  extent  the  length  of  N.  America  is  about  5,000  miles, 
and  its  greatest  width  is  about  3,000  miles. . Its  area 
9,349,000  square  miles,  comprises  about  one-sixth  of  the  dry 
land  on  earth. 

The  pupils  should  be  required  to  learn  to  name  and  lo- 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


9 


cate  the  principal  natural  features,  as  lakes,  rivers,  etc.,  in 
the  order  given  in  the  outline  above.  Only  the  important 
should  be  taken  up  noiv  as  we  soon  begin  the  study  of  each 
of  its  political  divisions  in  detail. 

Lead  the  pupils  to  see  that  the  principal  part  of  North 
America  is  in  the  temperate  zone,  while  the  most  of  South 
America  is  in  the  torrid  zone.  Teach  them  of  the  influence 
of  the  ocean  currents  on  the  climate  of  the  east  and  west 
coasts  of  North  America,  also  the  reason  for  the  sterility  of 
the  great  Rocky  Mountain  plateau,  and  for  the  slight  rain- 
fall on  the  Pacific  slope. 

While  the  animal  and  vegetable  growths  are  not  so  luxuri- 
ant as  in  South  America,  the  mineral  wealth  is  far  greater. 
North  America  possesses  every  variety  of  soil,  and  great 
plains  of  the  most  fertile  character,  so  that  agriculture  is 
carried  on  extensively  and  profitably  by  the  larger  number 
of  the  inhabitants.  Manufacturing,  mining  and  commerce 
are  next  in  importance. 

Lead  the  pupils  to  see  that  the  people  who  settled  near 
the  oceans  and  lakes  naturally  engaged  in  fishing,  ship- 
building, manufacturing  and  commerce;  those  who  settled 
in  the  forests  engaged  in  hunting,  trapping  and  lumbering; 
those  on  the  prairies  to  tilling  the  soil,  and  those  in  the 
mountain  regions  to  grazing,  dairying,  quarrying  and 
mining. 

The  following  little  outline  clipped  from  a school  journal 
may  be  useful: 


10 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


f Fishing. 

Of  people  living  on  the  coast,  j Commerce. 

j Ship-building. 
Manufact’ing. 


1 

a. 

s 

u 

u 

O 


r Quarrying. 
Mining. 

Of  people  living  in  a moun-  j Grazing, 
tainous  region . Dairying. 

^ Manufact’ing. 


Of  people  living  in  a prairie 
country. 


" Agriculture 
Grazing. 
Stock  raising. 
w Commerce. 


{Hunting. 
Trapping. 
Numbering. 


Day  by  day  review  interesting  historical  facts  associated 
with  the  places  studied. 

Have  the  pupils  learn  the  characteristics  of  the  principal 
classes  of  people  inhabiting  the  different  parts  of  North 
America. 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


'll 


COUNTRIES  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 

COMPARATIVE  SIZE  SHOWN  BY  DIAGRAM. 

I 

United  States,  3,600,000  sq.  rai. 


Canada,  3,230,000  sq.  mi. 


Danish  America, 
Mexico, 

Cent.  America, 

West 
Indies, 

94,000 
sq.  mi. 

180.000  sq.  mi. 

750.000  sq.  mi. 

880.000  sq.  mi. 


The  pupils  should  be  required  occasionally  to  show  the 
comparative  size  of  the  individual  members  of  a group 
of  states  by  the  construction  of  similar  diagrams. 


United  States,  1789. 


12 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


UNITED  STATES. 


1.  Boundary. 

2.  Area  and  population. 

3.  Gulfs  and  bays, 

4.  Peninsulas  and  islands. 


5« 

6. 

7- 

8. 


r 


Relief.  ■< 


Atlantic  Coast  Plain. 
Appalachian  Highlands. 
Mississippi  Valley. 

Rocky  Mountain  System. 
Great  Basin. 

Sierra  Nevada  Mountains. 
Pacific  Coast  Plain. 


Rivers. 


Fresh. 

Salt. 


No.  of  States  \ ^ ^rst* 
( Now. 


9.  Number  of  Territories. 


10.  Form  of  Government. 


II. 

Climate. 

Animal. 

12. 

Productions. 

Vegetable. 

Mineral. 

^ Manufactured. 

13- 

Occupations. 

14. 

Education,  j g^mon  Schools. 

15- 

Natural  Wonders. 

16. 

Religion. 

UNITED  STATES. 


13 


The  United  States  is  a federal  republic  situated  between 
250  and  490  N.  Lat.,  and  (exclusive  of  Alaska)  between  67° 
and  1240  W.  Long.  Its  greatest  length  from  east  to  west  is 
a little  less  than  3,000  miles  and  the  greatest  breadth  is 
about  1,600  miles.  It  is  the  largest  and  most  important  of 
the  divisions  of  North  America. 

Its  extent  over  240  of  latitude  and  its  varied  relief  forms 
give  it  an  almost  unlimited  variety  of  climate  and  pro- 
ductions. 

The  Atlantic  Coast  Plain  ranges  from  50  to  200  miles  in 
width,  occupied  mostly  by  the  “ Original  Thirteen.' ’ The 
northern  half  of  this  plain  is  tolerably  fertile. 

The  Appalachian  Mountain  system  is  noted  for  its  coal 
and  iron  mines  and  its  forests.  It  comprises  the  following 
ranges  and  clusters — Alleghany,  Blue  Ridge,  Catskill,  Green 
and  White  Mountains.  , 

The  Mississippi  Valley  is  the  largest  and  one  of  the  most 
fertile  plains  in  the  world.  It  is  said  to  be  capable  of  sus- 
taining a population  of  500,000,000  persons. 

In  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  food  products  of  this 
fruitful  region,  this  Mississippi  Valley  is  without  a success- 
ful rival. 

West  of  the  Mississippi  River  the  land  gradually  rises  and 
diminishes  in  productiveness  until  we  reach  the  Rocky 
Mountains — the  backbone  of  North  America.  This  moun- 
tain system  has  a base  of  over  1,000  miles  in  width,  over 
which  trend  numerous  ranges,  all  of  which  are  in  some  way 
connected  so  that  they  form  a comparatively  unified  whole. 


14 


NORTH  AMERICA 


Many  of  the  peaks  tower  above  the  snow  line,  below  which 
they  are  clothed  with  forests  of  fir,  pine  and  many  varieties 
of  deciduous  trees. 

The  scenery  in  many  portions  is  noted  either  for  its  pict- 
uresque beauty  or  sublime  grandeur. 

Among  the  places  much  visited  and  praised  by  tourists 
may  be  mentioned  the  Yellowstone  National,  North,  Middle, 
South  and  San  Luis  Parks;  Colorado,  Arkansas,  Williams,’ 
Engleman’s,  Queen’s,  De  Challez,  Cheyenne,  Cataract  and 
Red  canyons,  each  possessing  a beauty  peculiar  to  itself; 
Idaho,  Colorado,  Manitou,  Cottonwood,  Salida,  Poncho, 
Deansburg,  Soda,  Hevwood,  Morrison  and  Hartsell  Hot 
Springs;  San  Luis,  Yellowstone,  Twin,  South  Park  Salt, 
Palmer’s,  Green,  Trout,  Heart,  Shoshone,  Lewis,  Madi- 
son, Jackson’s  and  Fremont’s  Springs;  Upper  and  Lower 
Yellowstone  Falls,  Seven  Falls  and  Fountain  Cascade; 
Cave  of  the  Winds;  Garden  of  the  Gods;  Glen  Eyrie,  Aus- 
tin’s Glen,  Blair  Athol,  Royal  Gorge,  Durango  Cave 
Dwellings  and  Aztec  Ruins,  the  Holbrook  Petrified  Forest, 
the  numerous  geysers  of  Yellowstone  National  Park  and 
some  of  the  more  prominent  peaks,  especially  Pike’s  Peak. 

The  mineral  wealth  of  this  region  is  very  great.  The 
most  important  are  gold,  silver,  coal,  iron  and  copper. 

The  Great  Basin  lying  between  the  Rocky  Mountain 
system  and  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  is  a high  and 
comparatively  unproductive  region.  In  some  places,  how- 
ever, where  local  irrigation  is  utilized,  good  crops  are  pro- 
duced. 


UNITED  STATES. 


15 


The  characteristics  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  and 
the  Pacific  Slope  may  be  found  under  the  topic  California. 

Lead  the  pupils  to  see  that  the  direction  of  the  rivers  (and 
many  other  things /)  depend  upon  the  relief  of  a country. 
Let  the  pupils  write  the  names  of  the  important  rivers  in  five 
lists,  as  follows: 

i.  Those  flowing  into  the  Atlantic.  2.  Those  flowing 
directly  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  3.  The  tributaries  of 
the  Mississippi.  4.  Those  flowing  into  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
5.  All  other  rivers. 

The  government  is  a republic,  i.  e.,  the  people  choose,  at 
regular  intervals,  the  persons  whose  duty  it  becomes  to  make, 
execute  or  explain  the  law  as  the  case  may  be.  The 
government  is  thus  naturally  divided  into  three  principal 
branches,  as  follows: 


T . 1 f Senate 
•g.y  Legislative.  } House 


House  of  Representatives. 


1**1  f Supreme 

Judicial.  | jnferjor  c 


e Court  and 
courts. 


The  government  of  each  state  is  similar  in  character. 

The  climate  of  the  United  States  is  temperate,  but  not  so 
mild  as  that  of  the  old  world  in  the  same  latitudes.  The  in- 
fluence of  the  Japan  current  upon  the  climate  of  the  Pacific 
Slope  should  be  noted. 

The  pupils  can  with  little  or  no  help  make  a list  in  outline 
form  of  at  least  ten  of  each  of  the  kinds  of  productions. 


16 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  principal  occupations  should  be  named,  the  places  of 
their  greatest,  activity  located,  and  the  reason  given  for  a 
specified  occupation  being  carried  on  in  a particular  locality. 
It  would  be  well  to  have  the  pupils  make  a list  of  some  of 
the  important  inventions,  and  to  name  the  occupations 
that  have  arisen  because  of  said  inventions. 

Under  Education,  teach  the  pupils  how  the  common 
schools  are  supported  and  something  of  the  machinery  of 
school  government. 

The  various  kinds  of  schools  devoted  to  higher  and  special 
education  should  be  named  and  briefly  described. 

The  following  universities,  colleges  and  seminaries  should 
be  located:  Yale,  Harvard,  Bowdoin,  Williams,  Holyoke, 
Vassar,  Cornell,  Princeton,  John  Hopkins,  Ann  Arbor,  In- 
land Standford,  Jr. 

The  principal  natural  wonders  should  be  named  and  lo- 
cated; their  description  can  be  taken  up  under  the  respect- 
ive states. 

The  great  blessings  of  a fertile  soil,  a congenial  climate, 
rich  mines,  extensive  and  valuable  forests,  many  navigable 
rivers  and  commodious  and  safe  harbors,  beautiful  lakes, 
grand  scenery,  free  schools,  freedom  in  religion,  and  of  the 
republican  form  of  government  which  we  in  the  United 
States  enjoy,  should  all  be  brought  vividly  before  the  pupils’ 
minds. 


Me.  1820.  4 ‘ Pine  Tree  State.  ” “ Foxes. 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


17 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


MAINE 


f Position. 

Boundary. 

Size  and  population  compared  with  your  state. 
Atlantic  Ocean. 


Fakes. 


{Grand. 
Chesuncook. 
Moosehead. 
Umbagog. 


< 


Rivers. 


r St.  John. 

St.  Croix. 

< Penobscot. 
Kennebec. 

, Androscoggin. 


Bays. 


{Passamaquoddy. 
Frenchman’s. 
Penobscot. 

Casco. 


(Moose. 

Mt.  Desert. 
Isles  of  Shoals. 


( Mars  Hill. 
Mountains. «]  Katahdin. 
t ( Saddleback, 


18 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Cities.  ■*> 


Augusta. 

Portland. 

Bangor. 

Lewiston. 

Bath. 

Rockland. 

Eastport. 


Principal  industries. 


" Lumbering. 
Ship  building. 

< Manufacturing. 
Fisheries. 
Agriculture. 


Note: — To  the  left  of  the  brace  is  found  ist  the  abbrevia- 


tion of  the  State;  2nd,  the  date  of  admission  as  a State;  3rd. 
the  nickname  of  the  State;  4th,  the  nickname  of  the 
people. 

KEY  WORDS. 


1.  Bowdoin. 

2.  New  Sweden. 

3.  Alewives. 

4.  “100  Harbored  Maine.’  ’ 

5.  ( ‘ Thunder  Cave.  ’ ’ 

6.  ‘ ‘ Schooner  Head.  ’ ’ 

7.  “ The  Plumed  Knight.” 

8.  Ice  Harvests. 

9.  Gum  Gathering. 

10.  Menhaden. 

11.  “ The  Lumber  State. 5 5 

12.  ‘ ‘ Down-easters. ’ ’ 

13.  Webster — Ashburton  Treaty. 

14.  “Jumping-off  place.” 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


19 


queries. 

i . Who  named  New  England  ? 

2.  What  is  the  meaning  of  Chesuncook?  Passama- 
quoddy  ? Androscoggin  ? Bangor  ? Casco  ? Katahdin  ? 
Kennebec  ? Penobscot  ? Piscataqua  ? Umbagog  ? 

3.  With  what  State  was  Maine  connected  until  1820? 

4.  What  city  is  the  outlet  for  the  commerce  of  the  Great 
Lakes  in  the  winter  season  ? 

5.  Who  are  Maine’s  most  noted  authors  ? 

6.  What  city  is  the  second  lumber  market  in  the  United 
States  ? 

7.  What  is  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railway  ? 

8.  Which  city  of  Maine  is  noted  for  its  sardine  industry? 

9.  What  is  the  Motto  of  Maine  ? 

10.  Who  founded  the  Youth’s  Companion? 

11.  What  Indians  still  live  in  Maine? 

12.  Why  is  there  so  great  a difference  between  the  cli- 
mate of  Northern  and  Southern  Maine? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

Maine,  the  most  north-eastern  of  the  United  States,  has 
an  area  about  equal  to  the  rest  of  New  England.  It  has 
immense  forests  of  valuable  woods;  extensive  and  excellent 
quarries  of  good  building  stone;  2500  miles  of  sea  coast  with 
numerous  good  harbors;  a great  many  lakes  teeming  with 
trout,  salmon  and  other  fish;  an  abundance  of  water  power 
in  its  rivers,  and  valuable  fisheries  along  its  coast.  The 


20 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


short  summers  hinder  agriculture  somewhat,  but  the 
hardiest  cereals  and  fruits  are  cultivated  with  profit. 

Maine  is  midway  between  the  Equator  and  the  North 
Pole.  It  contains  1,700  lakes  over  one  mile  in  area,  besides 
many  smaller  ones. 

EASTPORT. 

Eastport,  situated  on  Moose  Island  in  Passamaquoddy 
Bay,  is  the  most  eastern  town  in  the  United  States.  It  is 
connected  with  the  mainland  by  a bridge.  The  city  enjoys 
an  extensive  commerce  with  the  neighboring  British  prov- 
inces. Owing  to  high  tides  its  harbor,  a good  one,  is  never 
filled  with  ice.  Fort  Sullivan,  situated  on  a prominence, 
defends  the  harbor. 


BANGOR. 

Bangor,  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Penobscot,  is 
one  of  the  leading  lumber  markets  of  the  United  States.  It 
is  built  on  both  banks  of  the  Kenduskeag,  which  affords 
abundant  water  power  that  is  utilized  by  numerous  mills 
and  factories.  Power  for  the  water  works  and  also  for 
manufacturing  purposes,  is  secured  by  the  erection  of  an 
immense  and  costly  dam  across  the  Penobscot  just  above 
the  city. 

ROCKLAND. 

Rockland,  noted  for  the  manufacture  and  exportation  of 
lime,  excellent  building  granite,  and  for  its  ship  building, 
is  on  the  west  shore  of  Penobscot  Bay,  about  ten  miles 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


21 


from  the  ocean.  It  has  a good  harbor.  Granite  for  the 
postoffices  in  New  York  and  Cincinnati  and  for  the  St. 
Louis  custom  house  was  quarried  here. 

BATH. 

Bath,  on  the  Kennebec  River,  a short  distance  from  the 
ocean,  is  noted  for  its  excellent  harbor  and  for  its  extensive 
ship  building. 

AUGUSTA. 

Augusta,  the  capital  of  Maine,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Kennebec,  is  at  the  head  of  sea  navigation.  It  has  a beauti- 
ful state  house  built  of  white  granite.  The  manufacture  of 
lumber  is  the  most  important  industry. 

LEWISTON. 

Lewiston,  on  the  Androscoggin,  opposite  Auburn,  is  an 
important  manufacturing  center.  The  falls  in  the  river  fur- 
nish the  power  by  which  many  cotton  and  woolen  mills  are 
operated. 

PORTLAND. 

Portland,  the  metropolis  and  principal  commercial  city  of 
Maine,  is  built  principally  upon  a peninsula  that  juts  east- 
wardly  into  Casco  Bay.  It  has  a safe  and  capacious  harbor, 
the  entrances  to  which  are  guarded  by  several  forts. 

The  canned  provision  trade  and  the  manufacture  of  lum- 
ber and  the  various  products  of  the  foundry  and  machine 
shops  are  the  principal  industries. 

Capt.  John  Smith  made  the  first  summer  trip  to  this  region 
in  1614. 


22 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


He  described  Casco  Bay  as  ‘ ‘ full  of  many  great  isles  and 
harbors.”  It  is  said  to  contain  more  islands  than  any  other 
like  space  in  the  United  States. 

In  1866,  July  4th,  a fire  cracker  started  a fire  which 
burned  a space  one  and  one-half  by  one  and  one-quarter  miles 
square,  100,000  people  were  homeless  and  $10,000,000  of 
property  was  destroyed. 

HereH.  W.  Uongfellow,  N.  P.  Willis  and  “ Fanny  Fern  ” 
were  bom. 

The  Youth’s  Companion  was  first  started  in  Portland. 
animaes. 

The  immense  forests  afford  homes  for  the  moose  and  cari- 
bou, deer,  bear,  wolf,  catamount,  coons,  squirrels,  beaver, 
sable,  weasel  and  other  wild  animals. 

The  birds  are  eagles,  geese,  ducks,  hawks,  owls,  quails,  etc. 

The  salt  water  fish  are  chiefly  cod,  mackerel,  herring; 
the  rivers  and  lakes  contain  salmon,  trout,  and  pickerel. 

Maine  does  not  lead  in  the  production  of  lumber  as  form- 
erly, but  she  still  cuts,  sa’ws,  and  sells  laths,  shingles,  clap- 
boards, shooks,  palings,  scantlings,  boards,  planks,  ship 
timber,  furniture  and  chair  stock,  carriage  material  and 
such  like. 

Maine  produces  more  lime  than  any  other  state  except 
New  York. 


New  Hampshire,  “The  Switzerland  of 

1788.  America.” 

“ Granite  Boys.” 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


23 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 


Position. 

Boundary. 

Size  and  population  compared  with  your  own 
state. 


Atlantic  Ocean. 


Lakes. 


Winnipiseogee. 

Connecticut. 


< 


C Connecticut. 
Rivers.  -]  Merrimac. 

( Piscataqua. 


Mount’ns 


White. 

Mt.  Washington. 


Cities. 


’ Concord. 
Manchester. 
Nashua. 
Portsmouth. 
Keene. 

v Dover — 1623. 


Principal  f Manufacturing. 
Industries.  | Agriculture. 


Products.  Name  10. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

15.  Dartmouth. 

16.  Hannah  Dustin’s  Island. 

17.  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain. 

18.  Old  Man’s  Washbowl. 

19.  Lacoma. 

20.  Tip  Top  House. 

21.  The  President’s  Range. 


24 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


22.  The  Flume. 

23.  The  Observatory. 

QUERIES. 

13.  Why  was  the  state  so  named? 

14.  What  president  was  a native  of  New  Hampshire? 

15.  What  is  the  meaning  of  Winnipiseogee?  Relate  the 
story  of  Hannah  Dustin. 

16.  In  what  wars  did  the  people  of  New  Hampshire  par- 
ticularly suffer? 

17.  What  Indians  once  lived  in  this  state? 

18.  What  writer  makes  a summer  resort  01  the  Isles  of 
Shoals? 

19.  Who  wrote  many  stories  about  the  White  Mountains? 

20.  What  great  lexicographer  born  in  New  Hampshire? 

21.  How  many  miles  of  seacoast  has  New  Hampshire? 

22.  What  Indian  legend  connected  with  Mt.  Washington? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

New  Hampshire,  one  of  the  “original  thirteen,”  is  too 
mountainous  in  most  parts  for  agriculture:  however,  in  the 
valleys  and  in  the  southern  part  it  is  conducted  with  profit. 
The  great  business  of  this  state  is  manufacturing.  The 
swiftly  flowing  rivers  afford  abundant  water  power.  Be- 
sides one  president,  Daniel  Webster,  Salmon  P.  Chase  and 
Horace  Greeley  were  sons  of  New  Hampshire, 

PORTSMOUTH. 

Portsmouth,  the  only  seaport  of  New  Hampshire,  has  a 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


25 


safe  harbor  large  enough  to  accommodate  2,000  ships.  Even 
at  low  tide  the  water  is  deep  enough  for  the  largest  vessels. 
The  swiftly  outflowing  tides  keep  the  harbor  free  from  ice 
or  sediment. 

The  first  warship  (the  North  America)  launched  in  Ameri- 
can waters  was  built  here. 

A United  States  navy  yard  is  established  on  Navy  Island 
opposite  Portsmouth,  within  the  limits  of  Kittery,  Maine. 

CONCORD. 

Concord,  the  capital  of  New  Plampshire,  on  the  Merri- 
mac,  has  important  manufactories  of  woven  fabrics  and 
carriages,  and  some  excellent  quarries  of  granite. 

MANCHESTER. 

Manchester,  the  metropolis  of  New  Hampshire,  is  built 
on  both  sides  of  the  Merrimac  River,  about  18  miles  south 
of  Concord.  The  Arnoskeag  Falls,  47  feet  in  height,  furnish 
the  power  by  which  the  great  cotton  and  woolen  mills  are 
operated.  The  manufacture  of  steam  engines,  both  station- 
ary and  locomotive,  is  an  important  industry. 

NASHUA. 

This  is  also  an  extensive  manufacturing  town.  The 
water  power  is  derived  from  the  Mine  Falls,  in  the  Nashua 
River,  whence  the  wTater  is  conducted  in  a canal  3 miles  in 
length.  The  fall  of  the  water  is  about  36  feet.  Besides  the 
cotton  and  woolen  factories,  it  has  extensive  iron  works  and 
manufactures  edged  tools. 


26 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


WHITE  MOUNTAINS. 

The  White  Mountains  consist  of  about  200  peaks  in  two 
principal  groups  on  a plateau  about  30  by  45  miles  in  ex- 
tent, lying  north  of  the  center  of  New  Hampshire.  Of 
these  peaks  Mt.  Washington  is  the  highest,  being  6,293 
above  the  sea  level. 

On  Mt.  Washington  a carrige  road  has  been  built  to  the 
summit  on  the  east  side  and  a railroad  on  the  west.  There 
are  several  buildings  at  the  summit;  among  them  is  one 
used  as  a meteorological  station  by  the  United  States  signal 
service.  The  grand  and  picturesque  scenery  of  this  region 
attracts  many  tourists  every  summer.  The  railroad  is  three 
miles  in  length,  and  has  a rise  of  over  3,600  feet. 

The  steepest  grade  is  1980  feet  to  one  mile.  The  time 
occupied  in  making  a round  trip  is  about  one  and  one-half 
hours. 

In  addition  to  the  ordinary  rails  for  the  road,  is  a third 
one  between  the  others,  a cog  rail,  in  which  works  the 
strong  cog  wheel  of  the  locomotive,  which  pushes  one  car 
ahead  of  it.  There  are  brakes  strong  enough  to  hold  the 
car  on  any  portion  of  the  track.  No  accidents  of  a serious 
nature  have  ever  happened  on  this  road. 

It  is  said  that  15,000  people  visit  Mt.  Washington  every 
year. 

The  Summit  House  is  a large  hotel. 

For  three  months  of  the  year,  the  Tip-Top  House  prints 
a daily  paper  called  “Among  the  Clouds.’ * 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


27 


The  temperature  on  this  peak  is  very  changeable;  for 
instance,  on  the  5th  of  February,  1871,  a party  of  scientific 
men  recorded  590  Fahr.  below  zero,  and  two  days  later  the 
themometer  registeeed  62°  above.  Summer  tourists  are 
sometimes  caught  in  severe  snow  storms  on  these  moun- 
tains. 

MERRIMAC  RIVER. 

The  Merrimac  River  is  especially  noted  for  its  manufac- 
tories. This  river  turns  more  spindles  than  any  other  in 
the  world.  One  town  alone  makes  cotton  cloth  enough  to 
reach  three  times  around  the  earth.  A cotton  factory  is  a 
very  interesting  place  to  visit. 

The  cotton  comes  to  the  factory  in  bales.  ‘ ‘ In  the  spin- 
ning room  it  is  made  into  thread  by  the  spinning  jenny.  In 
the  weaving  room  are  long  rows  of  looms  in  which  the  cloth 
is  woven.  The  spindles  turn,  the  looms  move,  the  shuttles 
fly  back  and  forth  to  form  the  web,  without  a hand  to 
touch  them  when  once  set  in  motion.  If  a thread  breaks, 
the  machinery  stops  itself  until  the  thread  is  mended. 

It  is  not  an  unusual  sight  of  an  evening  to  see  1,000 
people,  mostly  boys  and  girls,  leave  a single  factory. 

THE  FIRST  STRIKE. 

The  first  strike  in  America  of  which  we  have  a record 
occurred  at  Dover,  in  1827. 

Some  oppressive  act  aroused  the  factory  girls.  They 
struck,  and  paraded  the  town  with  a band  and  an  American 
flag.  The  mill  owners  quickly  came  to  time. 


28 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


FORESTS. 

The  principal  forests  are  in  the  northern  part  and  afford 
much  timber,  firewood,  charcoal,  maple  sugar  and  tanners' 
bark. 

The  hard  fwood  is  used  for  furniture  and  wooden-ware 
makers'  use. 

AGRICULTURE. 

Wheat,  oats,  rye,  barley,  corn  and  potatoes  are  produced. 
Hay  is  the  most  important  crop  of  this  state. 

Fruit  raising  is  very  profitable. 

The  state  offers  encouragement  to  actual  settlers  on  the 
abandoned  lands.  Dairy  farming  is  profitable — milk  is 
shipped  by  rail  to  the  Boston  market. 

MINERALS. 

Granite  is  extensively  quarried  in  many  places;  it  is  used 
principally  for  building  purposes. 

There  is  a fine  soapstone  quarry  at  Francestown. 

Some  of  the  largest  beryls  ever  known  were  found  in  New 
Hampshire. 

Iron  ore  is  found  in  paying  quantities.  Tin,  lead,  gold, 
silver,  zinc,  mica  and  graphite  are  found  here. 

LITERARY  MEN. 

T.  B.  Aldrich — Poet. 

Edward  Bellamy — Novelist. 

J.  E.  Worcester — Lexicographer. 

B.  P.  Shillaber — (Mrs.  Partington)  Humorist. 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


29 


Horace  Greeley — Journalist. 
Charles  E.  Coffin — Journalist. 
Hosea  Ballou — Religious  Writer 
S.  G.  Drake — Historian. 

J.  T.  Fields — Essayist. 

Thos.  W.  Knox — Journalist. 
Daniel  Webster — Statesman. 
Celia  Thaxter. 

Edna  Dean  Proctor. 


o>  m 
S O 

a.g 

*3  rt 

5:3  2 
O O 

a s 

(1)  CL) 

a a 

co  i 


ON 


VERMONT. 

Position. 

Boundary. 

Lakes  •$  ChamPlain- 

i^aKes.  | Memphremagog. 

{Connecticut. 
Winooski. 

Otter  Creek. 

(Green. 

Mt.  Mansfield. 
Killington  Peak. 

' Burlington. 
Montpelier. 

Cities.  - Rutland. 

St.  Johnsbury. 

, Bennington. 

(Animal  io. 
Vegetable  5. 
Mineral  5. 

( Agricultural. 

Occupations.  j « 

L Manufacturing. 


BO 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


KEY  WORDS. 

24.  Runaway  Pond. 

25.  Ethan  Allen. 

26.  Camel’s  Hump. 

27.  Bellow’s  Ealls. 

28.  “ Queen  City  of  Vermont.” 

29.  “ The  Beech  Seal.” 

30.  Sugar  Camps.  ’ ’ 

31.  Stone  Quarries. 

QUERIES. 

23.  To  what  State  does  the  Connecticut  River  belong? 

24.  What  is  marble? 

25.  What  city  is  noted  for  the  manufacture  of  weighing 
scales? 

26.  In  what  does  Vermont  excel  all  other  States? 

27.  What  kind  of  fences  are  found  in  this  State? 

28.  What  town  in  Vermont  was  raided  by  the  Confeder- 
ates in  1864? 

29.  How  is  stone  sawed? 

30.  How  many  cities  in  Vermont? 

31.  What  is  a city? 

32.  How  much  did  Vermont  pay  for  herself? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

The  mountainous  parts  of  Vermont  are  valuable  for  their 
forests  of  trees,  useful  for  lumber,  fuel,  tanner’s  bark,  maple 
sugar,  etc.,  for  luxuriant  pasturage  on  their  slopes,  and  for 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


31 


their  mineral  wealth,  consisting  of  excellent  marble,  rang- 
ing in  color  from  pure  white  to  black;  iron,  copper,  build- 
ing slate,  potter’s  clay  and  mineral  springs  of  medicinal 
value. 

It  has  a number  of  beautiful  lakes,  and  the  rivers,  though 
small,  have  a number  of  picturesque  falls,  and  furnish  con- 
siderable water  power  that  is  utilized  in  manufacturing  a 
great  variety  of  goods. 

Many  valuable  farms  occupy  the  valleys  and  the  western 
slopes  of  the  lower  mountain  ranges.  This  State  excels 
all  others  in  the  quantity  and  excellence  of  its  maple  syrup 
and  sugar.  Vermont  is  also  noted  for  its  highly  reputed 
dairy  products. 

CITIES. 

Burlington,  the  metropolis  of  Vermont,  and  one  of  the 
most  important  lumber  markets  in  the  United  States,  is 
beautifully  situated  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Take  Champlain, 
near  the  outlet  of  the  Winooski  river.  It  is  built  on  a 
slope,  reaching  from  the  water’s  edge  to  the  top  of  an  emi- 
nence 300  feet  high.  Upon  this  eminence  is  situated  the 
University  of  Vermont  that  was  established  the  same  year 
that  Vermont  was  admitted  to  the  United  States.  From 
this  eminence  one  can  obtain  a view  that  is  rarely  equalled 
for  its  picturesque  beauty,  hooking  westward  one  can  see 
the  whole  city,  the  lake  with  numerous  islands,  and  thtL 
Adirondacks  in  the  distance.  The  city  has  an  excellent 
harbor. 


32 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Montpelier,  the  capital,  is  a small  town  on  the  Winooski 
river. 

Rutland,  an  important  town  on  Otter  Creek,  is  noted  for 
the  extensive  quarries  of  superior  white  marble  near  it. 

Bennington  is  noted  for  the  scene  of  Gen.  Starks’  victory 
over  the  British.  A monument  now  marks  the  battle  ground. 
It  also  contains  manufactories  of  porcelain  and  Parian  ware. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  natural  panoramas  of  the  United 
States  is  presented  to  the  view  of  the  spectator  from  the 
summit  of  the  Vermont  University  at  Burlington. 

Lake  Champlain  is  600  feet  deep  and  covers  an  area  of  600 
square  miles.  The  bottom  of  this  lake  is  several  hundred 
feet  below  the  level  of  the  sea. 

MAPLE  SUGAR. 

Vermont  produces  about  one-third  of  the  annual  maple 
sugar  crop  of  the  United  States.  The  average  crop  is  about 
12,000,000  pounds. 

The  rock  or  sugar  maple  tree  (Acer  Saccharinum)  is 
usually  not  as  highly  prized  as  its  many  merits  deserve. 
Its  symmetrical  form,  dense  shade,  and  its  great  beauty 
when  arrayed  in  the  glory  of  its  royal  autumnal  robes  com- 
bine to  make  it  one  of  the  most  desirable  of  shade  trees.  Its 
wood,  next  to  hickory,  is  the  most  valuable  for  fuel,  and  for 
charcoal  it  is  unexcelled.  The  wood  being  very  hard  and 
often  having  a curiously  twisted  grain,  makes  it  valuable 
for  furniture  and  interior  finishing. 

The  sugar  season  comes  in  the  early  spring,  sometimes  as 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


33 


early  as  February.  When  frosty  nights  are  followed  by 
sunny,  thawing  days,  the  sap  runs  the  most  freely. 

An  auger  hole  is  made  in  the  tree  a few  feet  from  the 
ground  and  a tube  is  inserted  in  the  hole  to  convey  the  sap 
to  a bucket  attached  to  the  tree  to  receive  the  sweet  fluid. 
The  sap  is  collected  usually  in  a tank  hauled  upon  a wagon 
or  sled  and  conveyed  to  the  sap  house  where  it  is  boiled 
down  to  syrup  or  sugar  as  desired.  Much  of  the  Vermont 
sugar  is  used  for  home  consumption.  The  people  there 
use  it  to  put  in  their  coffee  and  to  sweeten  their  cakes  and 
pies.  4 4 Sugaring  off’  ’ is  the  important  epoch  in  sugar 
making,  it  is  the  completion  of  the  process  of  reducing  the 
sap  to  sugar,  and  cannot  successfully  be  acomplished  ex- 
cept by  the  most  experienced  and  skillful  makers.  A 
4 4 sugaring  bee,”  a young  folks  party,  often  attends  a 
4 4 sugaring  off.”  The  boys  and  girls  of  the  neighborhood 
are  invited  and  have  a jolly  time  in  all  sorts  of  games,  and 
in  eating  great  quantities  of  the  newly  made  sugar. 

The  demand  for  maple  syrup  and  sugar  is  so  great  that  it 
is  often  adulterated.  Very  little  pure  maple  syrup  and  sugar 
is  to  be  obtained  far  from  where  it  is  made. 


Massachusetts,  “ The  Bay  State, 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


S4 


MASSACHUSETTS. 


Boundary. 
Atlantic  Ocean. 


!Cape  Coa. 
Massachusetts. 
Buzzards. 


C/3 


<V 

rO 

<v 

r— < 

P3 


{Connecticut. 
Merrimac. 
Housatonic. 

| Ann. 

Capes.  { Cod. 

! Nantucket. 
Martha’s  Vineyard 
Elizabeth  Islands. 


00 

oo 

r- 


SHoosac. 

Mt.  Tom. 

Mt.  Holyoke. 


Cities. 


' Boston. 
Lowell. 
Lawrence. 
Lynn. 
Salem. 
Cambridge. 
Plymouth. 
Worcester. 
Springfield. 
Holyoke. 


Manufactured  - 
Products. 


Cotton  Goods. 
Woolen  “ 

Boots  and  Shoes. 
Leather. 

Paper. 

Ironware. 

Machinery. 

Etc.,  etc. 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


35 


KEY  WORDS. 

32.  “ City  of  Notions.0 

33.  Norman’s  Woe. 

34.  ‘ ‘ The  Paper  City. ’ ’ 

35.  Suez  of  America. 

36.  The  Hub. 

37.  Cradle  of  Liberty. 

38.  4 ‘ The  City  of  Spindles.  ’ ’ 

39.  Oldest  Town. 

40.  The  Neck. 

41.  Bunker  Hill  Monument. 

42.  Cape  Cod  Ship  Canal. 

43.  Harvard. 

44.  Forefather’s  rock. 

45.  “The  Granite  city. 

46.  Hoosac  Tunnel. 

QUERIES. 

33.  Of  what  use  are  the  lowlands  of  Cape  Cod  peninsula? 

34.  What  became  of  the  Boston  Elm  ? Tell  its  story. 

35.  Where  is  there  a noted  school  of  natural  science 
located  ? 

36.  What  is  “The  Literary  City  of  New  England?” 

37.  Who  were  the  Puritans  ? The  Pilgrims? 

38.  What  city  is  noted  for  the  manufacture  of  wire?  Boots 
and  shoes  ? 

39.  What  is  the  chief  fishing  port  of  the  United  States  ? 


36 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


40.  Where  is  the  largest  leather  market  in  United  States? 
Largest  watch  factory  ? 

41.  What  Presidents  has  Massachusetts  furnished?  What 
poets?  Literary  men? 

42.  How  is  the  landing  place  of  the  Pilgrims  marked? 

43.  Which  city  prohibited  theaters  for  twenty-five  years  ? 

44.  Where  is  the  oldest  house  in  the  United  States  ? 

45.  Where  is  there  a rock  thirty  to  forty  tons  weight  that 
can  be  moved  with  your  hand  ? 

46.  The  citizens  of  what  place  have  a peculiar  dialect  of 
their  own  ? 

47.  Massachusetts  boasts  the  second  largest  city  not  on 
navigable  waters.  Name  the  city. 

48.  What  city  is  called  “ The  Manchester  of  America  ? 

49.  Are  whales  ever  found  in  the  waters  off  the  North- 
east coast  ? 

50.  Where  and  when  was  the  first  state  normal  school 
established  in  the  United  States  ? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

At  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  is  a place  called  the  Ice  Hole, 
where  ice  is  found  for  the  whole  year.  It  is  a narrow  and 
deep  ravine  of  great  wildness,  where  the  snow  and  ice 
accumulate  to  such  a depth  as  to  remain  throughout  the 
entire  year. 

King  Phillip’s  head  stood  upoxi  a pole  at  Weymouth, 
Mass.,  until  its  wooden  support  rotted  off.  Read  your 
histories  for  a full  account  of  King  Phillip’s  War.  How 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


37 


lie  marked  his  route?  What  became  of  his  wife  and  child- 
ren? How  he  was  killed? 

The  first  tunneling  machine  was  used  upon  the  Hoosac 
tunnel  in  1851.  This  tunnel  is  24,416  feet  in  length,  and 
passes  entirely  through  the  Hossac  Mountains  in  Massachu- 
setts, on  the  Boston  and  Albany  railroad. 

Southbridge,  Mass.,  has  the  largest  spectacle  factory  in 
the  world.  More  than  three-fourths  of  the  gold  spectacles 
and  eye-glasses  made  in  this  country  are  made  in  South- 
bridge,  one  company  alone  in  that  town  having  turned  out 
1,500,000  pairs  last  year. 

NEW  BEDFORD. 

Counting  the  number  of  citizens,  this  town  is  perhaps  the 
richest  city  in  the  United  States.  For  fifty  years  past,  its 
inhabitants  have  done  half  of  the  world’s  whale  fishing. 
Most  of  the  whalebone,  whale  and  sperm  oils  comes  from 
this  port.  Of  late  years,  petroleum  and  cotton  seed  oil  have 
caused  this  industry  to  decline.  New  Bedford  can  boast  of 
one  of  the  largest  cotton  factories  in  the  world — The  Wam- 
sutta  Mills. 

SPRINGFIELD. 

Springfield  is  situated  on  the  Connecticut  river  in  Western 
Massachusetts.  It  is  noted  for  it’s  fine  buildings,  library 
and  manufactories.  One  of  the  principal  features  is  the 
United  States  Arsenal.  The  grounds  contain  seventy-two 
acres  of  land  surrounded  by  an  iron  fence. 

The  Springfield  rifles  are  widely  known. 


38 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Fire  arms,  cartridges,  jewelery,  railroad  cars,  buttons, 
paper  collars,  sewing  machine  needles,  slippers,  rubber  goods, 
thimbles,  spectacles,  envelopes,  and  numerous  other  articles 
are  manufactured  here. 

Headquarters  for  Webster’s  dictionaries,  and  Milton, 
Bradley  Co.,  toy  and  kindergarten  supplies  are  located  here. 

HAVERHILL. 

Haverhill  was  named  from  the  English  town  of  the  same 
name  by  Rev.  John  Ward  in  1640.  Many  times  the  settle- 
ment suffered  from  Indian  attacks. 

It  is  now  noted  for  it’s  boot,  shoe,  and  hat  industries.  It 
is  the  birth  place  of  the  “Quaker  Poet,”  John  G.  Whittier. 

The  scene  of  “Snow  Bound,”  is  visited  by  many  every 
year. 

WORCESTER. 

Worcester  is  located  in  one  of  the  richest  regions  of  New 
England.  It  is  the  second  city  in  population  in  Massachu- 
setts. It  is  the  seat  of  one  of  the  five  State  Normal  Schools, 
Military  Academy,  Worcester  Academy,  College  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  a Polytechnic  School  and  Clark’s  University.  It  is 
sometimes  known  as  the  “Academic  City.”  “Heart  of  the 
commonwealth”  is  given  to  it  owing  to  its  center  location, 
and  political  importance.  It’s  public  library  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  United  States. 

MINOT’S  LEDGE  LIGHTHOUSE. 

This  lighthouse  was  built.by  an  appropriation  of  Congress 
in  1847. 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


39 


It  is  octagonal  in  shape  and  25  feet  in  diameter  and  is 
located  over  one  mile  from  the  land.  In  1851  a terrific  At- 
lantic storm  totally  destroyed  this  lighthouse,  twisting  off 
iron  piles  10  inches  in  diameter. 

Congress  again  rebuilt  this  structure  more  strongly  than 
ever,  completing  it  in  i860. 

The  granite  tower  stands  88  feet  high,  30  feet  in  diameter 
at  the  base. 

There  are  over  1000  light  houses  and  lighted  beacons  under 
government  control  on  the  coasts  of  the  United  States,  besides 
many  bell  and  whistling  buoys,  and  fog  signals  operated  by 
steam,  hot  air  and  clock  work. 

The  United  States  has  10,000  miles  of  lighted  sea  and 
lake  coast,  exclusive  of  river  lights. 

GLOUCESTER. 

Gloucester,  the  largest  fishing  port  of  the  United 
States,  is  situated  on  the  peninsula  of  Cape  Ann,  about 
thirty  miles  northeast  of  Boston.  About  5,000  men  and 
over  420  vessels  are  employed  in  the  fisheries. 

It  is  also  a noted  summer  resort,  and  is  supplied  with  ex- 
cellent hotels  and  boarding  houses.  Coffin's  beach,  which  is 
about  two  miles  in  length,  is  one  of  the  finest  on  the  Atlantic 
Coast. 

An  excellent  quality  of  granite  is  quarried  and  shipped 
from  Gloucester. 

How  should  you  pronounce  Gloucester  ? 


40 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


We  think  Whittier  had  Gloucester  in  mind  when  he 
wrote: 

“There  we’ll  drop  our  lines,  and  gather 
Old  Ocean’s  Treasures  in, 

Where’er  the  mottled  mackerel 
Turns  up  a steel-dark  fin; 

The  sea’s  our  field  of  harvest, 

Its  scaly  tribes  our  grain, 

We’ll  reap  the  teeming  waters 
As  at  home  they  reap  the  plain.’ ’ 

QUINCY. 

Quincy  is  picturesquely  located  near  Quincy  Bay,  about 
eight  miles  south  and  east  of  Boston.  It  has  long  been 
famous  for  the  excellent  quality  of  the  building  granite 
furnished  by  its  extensive  quarries.  The  first  quarry  was 
opened  in  1825  to  get  the  material  for  building  the  Bunker 
Hill  monument.  In  order  to  convey  this  stone  from  the 
quarry  to  the  water’s  edge,  a railroad  four  miles  in  length 
(including  branches)  was  constructed  in  1826.  The  sleep- 
ers, or  ties  as  we  call  them,  were  made  of  stone,  and  laid 
8 feet  apart;  the  rails  were  made  of  wood  six  inches  thick 
and  covered  with  strap  iron  % of  an  inch  thick.  This 
was  the  first  railroad  built  on  the  western  continent. 

The  Adams  Academy,  a classical  preparatory  school, 
stands  upon  the  site  of  the  birth  place  of  John  Hancock, 
once  governor  of  Massachusetts. 

Quincy  was  also  the  birth  place  and  home  of  Presidents 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


41 


John  Adams  and  John  Quincy  Adams.  The  town  was 
originally  called  Braintree. 

HOW  BANK  NOTES  ARE  MADE. 

Everyone  may  not  know  that  the  government  money  is 
printed  on  paper  made  in  Dalton,  Mass.,  in  a mill  that  ex- 
isted in  colonial  times.  As  the  grayish  pulp  passes  between 
heavy  iron  rollers,  bits  of  red  and  blue  silk  are  scattered 
over  its  surface.  From  the  pulp  room  to  the  vault,  where 
it  is  stored  until  shipped  to  Washington,  it  is  guarded  and 
watched  as  though  it  was  gold. 

In  small  iron  safes,  like  those  used  by  the  express  com* 
panies,  the  paper  is  carried  where  it  is  used  or  stored  away 
until  needed. 

More  than  1,000  persons  are  employed  in  the  bureau  of 
printing  and  engraving,  in  wetting,  plate-printing,  examin- 
ing, pressing,  numbering,  separating,  binding,  perforating 
the  paper  currency  of  our  country.  The  plates  and  stamp 
dies  are  kept  in  vaults  that  require  three  men’s  time  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  to  open.  The  printing  of  bank  notes 
requires  twenty-two  to  twenty-four  days,  and  during  the 
process  it  passes  through  the  hands  of  fifty-two  workmen. 

NEWTON. 

Newton,  for  many  years  the  home  of  Horace  Mann,  the 
noted  educator,  lies  seven  miles  west  of  Boston.  It  contains 
the  suburban  homes  of  many  wealthy  business  men  of  Bos- 
ton. Its  schools  are  noted  for  their  excellence. 


42 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  Tassell  Female  Seminary  and  the  Baptist  Theologi- 
cal Institution  are  located  here. 

It  was  here  that  the  famous  Eliot  first  preached  to  the 
Indians.  The  spot  is  marked  by  an  appropriate  monument. 

The  items  of  interest  just  given  are  illustrative  of  what 
may  be  done  with  most  of  the  places  mentioned  in  the  out- 
lines of  the  various  states. 

The  pupils’  attention  should  be  called  to  the  scale  of  miles 
found  on  each  good  map  in  their  text  book,  and  also  to  the 
fact  that  few  of  the  maps  are  drawn  on  the  same  scale.  By 
use  of  the  scale  they  should  be  required  occasionally  to  find 
the  distance  between  designated  places. 


CONNECTICUT. 


CO 

bo 

<L> 

a 

+-> 

d 

fc 

d 

d> 

”d 

o 

o 


d 

§ 

o 


bO 

<L> 

a 

d 

d 

<D 

O 

o 


oo 

00 


Position. 

Size. 

Atlantic  Ocean. 
Tong  Island  Sound. 

{Connecticut. 
Housatonic. 

Thames. 

Hoosac  Mountains. 


Cities. 


r Hartford. 

New  Haven. 
Bridgeport. 

- Waterbury. 
Norwich. 
Willimantic. 
^New  Eondon, 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


43 


KEYWORDS. 

58.  “City  of  Elms.” 

59.  “The  Rose  of  New  England.* * 

60.  “Land  of  Steady  Habits.* * 

61.  “Charter  Oak.” 

62.  “The  Onion  City.” 

63.  “Horse  Neck.” 

64.  “Judge* s Cave.*’ 

65.  “Freestone  State. 

66.  “Blue  Eaws.’* 

QUERIES. 

63.  What  Indian  once  lived  in  this  state  ? 

64.  Where  did  P.  T.  Barnum  live  ? 

65.  Which  town  manufactures  the  most  brass  buttons? 

66.  What  city  manufactures  the  most  fish  hooks  in  the 
United  States  ? 

67.  What  countries  of  Europe  directly  east  of  Connecticut? 

68.  Where  are  the  largest  thread  works  in  this  country? 

69.  Where  was  Tom  Thumb’s  home? 

70.  Do  you  know  the  stories  concerning  Israel  Putnam  ? 
Tell  them  to  your  class. 

71.  What  city  is  called  “The  Forest  city  of  New  Eng- 
land ? 

THE  OBLONG. 

The  tract  of  land  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Connecticut 
formerly  belonged  to  New  York.  Connecticut  traded  other 
land  in  Long  Island  Sound  for  this  strip  containing  upwards 


44 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


of  6o,ooo  acres  of  land.  There  are  four  towns  situated 
thereon. 

HARTFORD. 

This  city  is  situated  fifty  miles  up  the  Connecticut  River. 
It  has  a population  of  50,000  and  is  the  capital  of  nut- 
megdom. 

It  is  noted  for  its  life,  fire  and  accident  insurance  com- 
panies, for  its  book  and  printing  establishments,  for  its  li- 
braries, and  for  manufacturing  industries. 

In  the  Historical  rooms  is  the  stump  of  Charter  Oak;  an 
arm  chair  has  been  made  from  this  relic.  In  Hartford  the 
first  witch  in  America  was  executed. 

Mark  Twain’s  home  is  here. 

Colt’s  Firearms  Company  is  located  in  this  city,  their 
works  cover  125  acres  of  ground. 

Hartford  is  sometimes  known  as  the  ‘ 1 Queen  City  of  New 
England.” 

NORWICH. 

Norwich,  one  of  the  most  thriving  manufacturing  towns 
of  Connecticut,  is  mainly  built  upon  an  eminence  between 
the  Yantic  and  Shetucket  rivers  where  they  unite  to  form  the 
Thames.  The  site  of  nine  miles  square  was  purchased  for 
a company  by  Maj.  John  Mason,  of  the  noted  Indian  chief 
Uncas  and  his  two  sons  in  1659  for  ^70. 

It  is  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Thames  and  has  a 
commodious  harbor. 

It  has  the  largest  paper  mill  in  New  England  and  the 
largest  cotton  mill  but  one  in  the  United  States. 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


45 


The  “ Falls’  ’ on  the  Yantic  about  a mile  above  the 
Thames  are  about  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  afford  abundant 
water-power,  which  is  utilized  by  many  factories  of  various 
kinds. 

NEW  HAVEN. 

New  Haven  is  pleasantly  situated  at  the  head  of  a bay 
opening  into  Long  Island  Sound.  Every  thing  here  bears 
the  impress  of  New  England,  the  land  of  smart  sayings 
and  Yankee  ingenuity.  The  center  of  the  city  is  occupied 
by  great  trees  and  a grass-grown  square. 

Yale  University  and  accompanying  cpllege  buildings  are 
important  factors  to  the  city. 

The  Candee  rubber  works — second  in  size  in  the  U.  S. — 
the  Winchester  rifle  and  ammunition  factory,  are  located 
here.  Oyster  farming  is  extensively  carried  on,  and  Fair 
Haven  oysters  are  regarded  second  to  none  on  the  Atlantic 
coast. 

This  city  is  the  home  of  many  prominent  scholars  and 
writers  of  the  present  day. 

CONNECTICUT  RIVER. 

This  river  is  the  outlet  of  Lake  Connecticut  in  Northern 
New  Hampshire.  It  forms  the  boundary  line  between  Ver- 
mont and  New  Hampshire.  It  is  450  miles  in  length  and 
drains  nearly  11,000  square  miles  of  land.  The  Connecticut 
Valley  is  noted  for  its  fertility  and  great  beauty.  The  broad 
meadows,  the  bluffs  and  mountain  terraces  lend  beauty  to 
the  scene.  In  an  early  day  this  valley  witnessed  many  acts 


46 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


of  Indian  cruelty  and  the  historical  societies  are  rich  in 
Indian  legends  and  lore. 

LONG  ISLAND  SOUND. 

Long  Island  Sound  is  a portion  of  the  ocean  separating 
Long  Island  from  the  mainland.  It  is  no  miles  in  length 
and  from  2 to  20  miles  wide.  The  east  end  passage  is  called 
The  Race.  The  west  end  is  connected  by  a strait  called  East 
River  and  The  Narrows  with  the  New  York  Bay.  Steam- 
boats plying  along  the  coast  pass  through  this  sound. 

There  are  several  lighthouses  along  the  coast. 

BRIDGEPORT. 

Bridgeport,  situated  on  Long  Island  Sound  in  the  south- 
western part  of  Connecticut,  is  noted  for  the  manufacture  of 
sewing-machines,  firearms  and  carriages.  The  Wheeler 
and  Wilson  and  the  Howe  sewing  machines  are  made  here. 

Golden  Hill,  an  eminence  about  100  feet  high,  back  of  the 
city,  is  the  fashionable  residence  district  and  commands  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  Sound. 

Bridgeport  formerly  was  one  of  the  most  important  sum- 
mer resorts. 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


47 


RHODE  ISLAND. 


^ . 

T3  C/3 

a 

ii§ 

so 

h4: 


HH  O 

ON 

« 


Size 

Atlantic  Ocean. 
Narragansett  Bay. 
Blackstone  River. 

Rhode  Island. 
Block. 

{Providence. 
Newport. 
Woonsocket. 


Islands 


■{: 


KEY  WORDS. 

47.  Roger  Williams. 

48.  Indian  Rock. 

49.  “Eden  of  America.” 

50.  “ Heroine  of  Newport. 

51.  Lime  Rock  lighthouse. 

52.  Drum  Rock. 

53.  “ Isle  of  Peace.” 

54.  Old  Stone  Mill. 

55.  Perry’s  Statue. 

56.  Fort  Adams. 

57.  Spouting  Head. 


QUERIES. 

51.  How  were  the  streets  of  Providence  named? 

52.  What  state  raises  barely  wheat  enough  for  her  people  r 

53.  How  many  Rhode  Islands  could  be  made  of  your  state  ? 

54.  Why  has  Rhode  Island  two  capitals? 


48 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


55.  What  rebellion  took  place  within  the  limits  of  this 
state? 

56.  Where  was  the  first  successful  cotton  mill  established  ? 

57.  For  what  is  Narragansett  Bay  noted  ? 

58.  What  minerals  are  found  in  Rhode  Island? 

59.  What  is  the  state  motto? 

60.  New  England  has  a great  many  “necks.”  What  are 
necks  ? 

61.  Which  colony  was  the  last  of  the  original  thirteen  to 
ratify  the  constitution  ? 

62.  Which  is  the  most  densely  populated  state  in  the 
Union? 

BLOCK  ISLAND. 

Block  Island  is  a favorite  resort  for  summer  tourists. 

The  dried  codfish  of  this  island  are  held  in  high  repute. 

On  the  east  side  is  a very  large  hotel  and  a good  break- 
water, making  an  excellent  harbor. 

Adrian  Block  built  the  first  ship  in  America  at  Manhattan 
Island  in  1613,  and  in  the  Unrest  sailed  through  Long  Island 
Sound  and  discovered  Block  Island. 

PROVIDENCE. 

Providence  was  founded  by  Roger  Williams,  in  1636. 

This  town  surrounds  a body  of  water  nearly  one  mile  in 
circumference,  called  “ The  Cove.” 

The  basin  is  enclosed  by  a granite  wall,  on  top  of  which  is 
an  iron  fence,  and  just  beyond  a boulevard  eighty  feet  wide 
with  shade  trees  on  each  side. 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES. 


49 


Brown’s  College  is  located  here. 

Providence  is  celebrated  for  its  jewelry  manufactures. 
The  Gorham  silver  factories  are  the  largest  in  the  world. 

The  Providence  trade  in  print  calicoes  is  as  great  as  any 
city  in  the  United  States. 

RHODE  ISLAND. 

Rhode  Island  is  situated  in  the  Narragansett  Bay.  New- 
port, which  was  settled  in  early  times,  is  the  principal  city. 
It  is  noted  for  being  one  of  the  most  fashionable  summer 
resorts.  It  contains  relics  of  the  Norsemen.  The  island 
affords  excellent  facilities  for  surf  bathing  and  has  much 
scenery  that  is  picturesque  and  romantic. 

WOONSOCKET. 

Woonsocket  is  the  business  center  of  the  Blackstone  val- 
ley. It  has  many  manufacturing  interests  and  employs 
many  thousands  of  workmen. 

Woonsocket  has  all  the  modern  appliances  for  a city,  ex- 
tensive waterworks,  street  car  service,  electric  lights  and 
fire  alarms,  free  delivery  of  letters,  a paid  fire  department, 
and  a cottage  system  of  hospitals.  The  most  extensive 
woolen  mills  in  the  United  States,  and  the  largest  rubber 
shoe  factory  in  the  world  are  located  here. 


50 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


EASTERN  STATES. 


NEW  YORK. 


Population. 
Comparative  size. 
Atlantic  Ocean. 
New  York  Bay. 


Long  Island  Sound. 


i!  J8 

& 8 

tfXJOi 

Si  <3 

9Gh<J 

TT'.rH 

8 q 


Bakes. 


' Ontario. 

Erie. 

Champlain. 
George.  ** 
< Oneida. 
Cayuga. 
Seneca. 
Chautauqua. 

^ Otsego. 


Rivers. 


Canals. 


Islands. 


r Hudson. 
Mohawk. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Niagara. 

Genesee. 

Oswego. 

Delaware. 

Susquehanna. 

j Erie. 

( Champlain. 

' Long  Island. 

J Staten. 
Bedloe’s. 
Governor’s?. 


EASTERN  STATES. 


51 


Mts. 


f Adirondack, 
Catskill. 
Highlands. 
^Mt.  Marcy. 


< Cities. 


' New  York. 
Brooklyn. 
Albany. 
Troy. 

West  Point. 

Saratoga. 

Buffalo. 

Rochester. 

Syracuse. 

Utica. 

Elmira. 

Oswego. 


Products. 


r Animal. 

I Vegetable. 

I Mineral. 

L Manufactured. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

67.  Croton  Aqueduct. 

68.  Statue  of  Liberty. 

69.  Elevated  railroads. 

70.  The  Obelisk. 

71.  The  Battery. 

72.  Palisades. 

73.  “The  Queen  City  of  the  Lakes." 

74.  ‘ ‘ The  Military  City.  ’ ’ 

75.  ‘ ‘ The  Flour  City.  ’ ’ 

76.  “The  Salt  City.” 

77.  The  Toombs. 


52 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


78.  United  States  Navy  Yard. 

79.  1 ‘ The  Summer  Resort.  ’ * 

80.  Castle  Garden. 

81.  Five  Points. 

82.  ‘‘The  Twin  Cities  of  America. 

83.  “ The  Empire  City.  ’ ’ 

84.  Wall  Street. 

85.  Vassar  College. 

86.  ‘ ‘ The  City  of  Churches. ’ , 

QUERIES. 

72.  What  is  Hell  Gate?  (Tell  about  the  removal  of  the 
obstructions  to  commerce.) 

73.  Describe  a lock  in  a canal. 

74.  What  city  was  used  as  a Confederate  prison? 

75.  What  city  is  lighted  by  natural  gas? 

76.  By  what  names  has  New  York  been  known  ? 

77.  Give  the  origin  of  the  name  New  York. 

78.  Tell  the  history  connected  with  the  “Half  Moon.’ * 
“ Clermont.’ ’ 

79.  What  effect  did  the  Erie  Canal  have  upon  this  state? 

80.  What  is  North  River? 

81.  What  city  manufactures  the  most  wheat  starch  in 
America  ? 

82.  Where  is  the  busiest  river  in  the  world  for  its  size  ? 

83.  What  is  the  area  of  New  York  City  ? Population  ? 

84.  How  long  is  Long  Island  ? 

85.  Where  are  the  Thousand  Isles  ? For  what  noted? 


EASTERN  STATES. 


53 


86.  Locate  several  mineral  springs. 

87.  What  is  a dry  dock ? (Simpson’s  dry  dock  in  Brook- 
lyn is  the  largest  in  the  world.)  Its  use  ? 

88.  Who  first  found  salt  in  New  York?  (The  Indians 
manufactured  salt  for  over  fifty  years.  Now  the  wells  are 
controlled  partly  by  the  state.) 

89.  How  do  vessels  sail  from  Lake  Erie  to  Lake  Ontario  ? 

90.  What  lake  of  New  York  is  tributary  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  ? 

91.  Give  names  denoting  Indian  origin  ? English?  Dutch  ? 

92.  State  the  cause  of  the  jog  in  the  eastern  boundary  of 
New  York? 

93.  Who  is  the  wizard  of  Menlo  Park  ? 

94.  How  was  the  news  of  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal 
telegraphed? 

95.  Which  city  in  the  United  States  contains  the  largest 
church  ? 

A TRIP  ON  THE  HUDSON  AND  MOHAWK  RIVERS. 

Instead  of  the  usual  “Items  of  Interest”  we  will  take  a 
trip  down  the  noble  Hudson  and  its  principal  tributary,  the 
Mohawk,  and  note  some  of  the  facts  about  the  important 
places  we  find. 

To  begin  at  the  source  of  the  Hudson  we  shall  have  to  go 
up  to  the  picturesque  Adirondacks,  from  whose  rocky  and 
forest  clad  sides  the  melting  snows  and  numerous  springs 
send  impetuous  brooklets  of  clear,  cold  water,  that  fret,  foam 
and  dash  down  their  rocky  beds,  until  reaching  some  natural 


54 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


depressions,  they  rest  themselves  in  placid  lakes  before  con- 
tinuing their  journey  down  to  the  mighty  ocean.  A num- 
ber of  small  streams  coming  from  these  beautiful  mountain 
lakes  unite  in  Essex  county  and  form  the  Hudson,  which,  as 
you  know,  was  named  after  Henry  Hudson,  the  great  navi- 
gator, who  discovered  it  in  1609.  From  the  summit  of  one 
of  the  many  peaks  of  the  Adirondacks  we  may  get  glimpses 
of  the  justly  famous  Fakes  Champlain  and  George — celebrat- 
ed both  for  their  wonderful  beauty  and  their  historical  asso- 
ciations. 

The  Adirondack  region  is  dotted  with  beautiful  lakes, 
grand  mountain  peaks  and  romantic  glens.  Mounts  Marcy, 
Whiteface  and  Dix  are  the  highest,  all  ranging  near  5,000 
feet  above  sea  level. 

There  are  three  lakes  on  Mt.  Wallface  which  send  their 
waters  into  the  Atlantic  by  the  Hudson,  into  the  St.  Law- 
rence by  the  Racket  and  into  Lake  Champlain  by  the 
Ausable. 

In  this  region,  the  deer,  black  bear,  panther,  wolf,  wild- 
cat, lynx,  and  even  the  moose,  besides  great  numbers  of  the 
smaller  animals  are  yet  found  in  the  dense  forests. 

Many  varieties  of  trout  are  found  in  the  lakes  and  streams. 

It  is  a fact  worth  mentioning  that  nearly  all  of  the  lakes 
of  our  country  lie  north  of  the  southern  boundary  of  New 
York,  and  no  state  excels  New  York  in  either  the  number 
or  beauty  of  her  lakes. 

Going  southward  a short  distance  and  then  making  an 
abrupt  sweep  to  the  east  the  river  brings  us  to  Glenn’s  Falls, 


EASTERN  STATES. 


55 


where  the  river  makes  a descent  of  fifty  feet,  thus  affording 
abundant  water  power.  A fine  quarry  of  black  marble,  and 
the  picturesque  scenery  in  the  vicinity,  are  the  only  note- 
worthy features. 

As  we  pass  southward  we  leave  Saratoga  Springs  to  our 
right.  At  this  place  you  remember,  Burgoyne  surrendered 
his.arn^  in  1777. 

On  account  of  the  medicinal  properties  of  the  mineral 
springs,  this  has  become  one  of  the  most  celebrated  of  the 
fashionable  summer  resorts.  Of  its  magnificent  hotels,  several 
have  accommodations  for  1,000  guests  apiece. 

We  now  come  to  the  Hudson’s  principal  tributary,  the 
Mohawk,  which  has  a southeasterly  course  of  about  175 
miles. 

Descending  the  Mohawk  to  the  point  where  it  changes 
its  direction  from  south  to  southeast,  we  come  to  Rome,  a 
thriving  manufacturing  town,  built  upon  the  site  of  old  Fort 
Stanwix,  of  Revolutionary  fame. 

Going  further  down  the  river,  on  the  site  of  old  Fort 
Schuyler,  we  reach  Utica.  Utica  is  built  at  the  junction  of 
the  Brie  and  Chenango  canals,  and  is  devoted  to  manufact- 
uring and  has  some  note  as  a shipping  point  for  dairy 
products. 

About  twenty  miles  further  down,  the  Mohawk  rushes 
through  a narrow,  rocky  gorge,  and  descends  over  forty  feet 
in  less  than  a mile.  This  romantic  place  is  called  Tittle 
Falls. 

Further  down,  on  a small  tributary  from  the  north,  is  lo- 


56 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


cated  Gloversville,  a prosperous  town  whose  name  is  derived 
from  its  leading  industry — the  manufacture  of  gloves  and 
mittens.  In  this  city  and  its  neighbor,  Johnstown,  are  made 
two-thirds  of  the  leather  gloves  and  mittens  manufactured 
in  the  United  States. 

Passing  on  down  the  Mohawk,  the  next  important  town 
is  Schenectady,  a place  engaged  largely  in  the  manufacture 
of  engines,  vehicles,  machinery,  and  ironware  of  various 
kinds.  Union  University,  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  state,  is 
located  here.  . 

The  terrible  Indian  massacres  of  1690  and  1748  at  Schen- 
ectady should  be  mentioned. 

We  next  arrive  at  Cohoes,  a great  cotton-cloth  manufact- 
uring city,  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Mohawk  and 
Hudson.  The  Mohawk  here  descends  about  100  feet,  thus 
giving  a great  water  power,  which  is  utilized  by  the  fac- 
tories. One-third  of  the  hosiery  of  this  country  is  made  by 
the  factories  of  Cohoes. 

Three  miles  below,  we  reach  Troy,  which  manufactures 
more  shirts,  cuffs,  collars,  mathematical  instruments  and 
globes  than  any  other  place  in  the  United  States. 

The  iron  and  steel  manufacture  is  also  a very  important 
one. 

In  the  beautiful  Oakwood  cemetery  of  Troy  are  buried 
two  major  generals  of  the  United  States  army — Geo.  H. 
Thomas,  “ The  Rock  of  Chicamauga,”  and  John  E.  Wool. 
The  monument  to  the  memory  of  Gen.  Wool  is  a stone  obe- 


EASTERN  STATES. 


57 


lisk  seventy-five  feet  in  height,  and  is  said  to  be  the  largest 
piece  of  granite  quarried  in  the  last  3,000  years. 

Six  miles  below  Troy  we  come  to  Albany,  the  capital  and 
one  of  the  very  oldest  towns  in  the  state. 

A bi-centennial  celebration,  held  on  July  22,  1886,  com- 
memorated the  two-hundredth  anniversary  of  the  granting  of 
its  charter.  Among  the  old  buildings,  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  interesting  in  its  historical  associations,  is  the  Schuyler 
mansion,  where  Washington,  Franklin,  Gates,  Lafayette, 
Burgoyne  (the  latter  a prisoner)  were  entertained.  In  this 
house  Alexander  Hamilton  was  married  to  a daughter  of 
Gen.  Schuyler,  and  in  1858  Ex-President  Fillmore  was 
married  to  the  widow  McIntosh,  who  owned  the  mansion 
at  that  time. 

The  capitol  at  Albany  is,  excepting  the  capitol  at  Wash- 
ington, the  finest  public  building  in  America.  It  cost 
$20,000,000. 

Albany  is  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  Erie  canal.  Its 
commercial  activity  began  with  the  arrival  of  Robert  Ful- 
ton’s famous  Clermont,  in  1807. 

Traveling  on  toward  the  ocean  we  pass  Catskill,  a noted 
summer  resort,  and  also  a departing  point  for  tourists  bound 
for  the  picturesque  Catskills  region,  a short  distance  east- 
ward. 

The  next  town  of  importance  is  the  manufacturing  town 
of  Kingston,  which  has  a romantic  situation  at  the  foot  of 
the  Catskill  mountains. 

Continuing  our  journey,  we  arrive  at  Poughkeepsie,  “a 


58 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


safe  and  pleasant  place,  ’ ’ noted  for  its  great  cantilever  bridge 
and  for  being  the  seat  of  Vassar  College,  the  largest  of 
the  colleges  for  females  in  this  country.  It  is  said  that  in 
existing  records,  Poughkeepsie  is  spelled  in  forty-two  different 
ways. 

A short  distance  southward,  Fishkill  and  Newbury,  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  river,  are  situated.  Ferry  boats,  of 
sufficient  size  to  transfer  a whole  train  of  cars  at  a load,  ply 
between  the  two  towns.  Newbury  contains  a famous  stone 
house,  which  was  occupied  by  Washington,  as  his  headquar- 
ters, during  the  closing  years  of  the  Revolution.  It  was 
from  this  place  that  he  issued  the  proclamation  disbanding 
the  army. 

Four  miles  below  Newburg  is  Cornwall,  the  most  popular 
resort  on  the  Hudson,  and  the  former  home  of  N.  P.  Willis 
and  E.  P.  Roe,  both  well  known  American  authors. 

Descending  the  river  a short  distance,  we  find  West  Point, 
famous  for  its  history,  its  United  States  Military  Academy 
and  for  its  magnificent  views.  It  is  visited  by  many  tour- 
ists every  summer.  A monument  to  the  memory  of  the 
patriot,  Kosciusko,  who  superintended  the  construction  of  the 
first  defenses  of  West  Point,  was  erected  by  the  cadets  in 
1828.  A visit  here  brings  to  mind  the  traitor,  Arnold,  and 
the  unfortunate  Andre. 

As  we  emerge  from  the  justly  celebrated  Highlands  we 
pass  the  village  of  Peekskill,  and  a few  miles  further  we 
reach  the  historic  Stony  Point,  which  “ Mad  Anthony  ” 
Wayne  captured  from  the  British  without  firing  a shot. 


EASTERN  STATES. 


59 


From  the  limestone  cliffs  in  this  neighborhood  great  quan- 
tities of  lime  are  obtained,  and,  a few  miles  below,  at  the 
village  of  Haverstraw,  are  immense  brick-yards.  The  banks 
of  clay  are  of  a very  valuable  quality.  In  this  village,  on 
‘ 4 Treason  Hill,”  still  stands  the  building  in  which  Arnold 
and  Andre  met  to  negotiate  for  the  betrayal  of  West  Point. 
Before  us  lies  Haverstraw  Bay,  an  expansion  of  the  river, 
that,  below  Croton  Point,  was  dignified  by  the  early  set- 
tlers with  the  name  of  Tappan  Zee  (sea).  This  widening 
of  the  river  extends  about  12  miles,  and  in  the  widest  part 
measures  over  three  miles. 

Croton  River,  a small  stream  from  which  New  York  city 
gets  her  supply  of  water,  enters  from  the  left,  near  Croton 
Point.  Six  miles  up  the  creek,  a dam  250  feet  long,  70  feet 
thick  at  the  bottom  and  40  feet  high,  causes  an  artificial 
lake,  from  which  an  aqueduct  over  40  miles  long  carries  the 
water  into  the  city.  The  carrying  capacity  of  the  aqueduct 
is  over  2,000,000  gallons  per  hour. 

Four  miles  below,  on  the  left  bank,  is  Sing  Sing,  “ Stony 
Point,”  noted  for  having  one  of  the  largest  of  New  York’s 
state  prisons.  This  prison,  unlike  many  others,  is  not  en- 
closed by  high  walls,  but  is  guarded  by  armed  sentinels. 

A little  further  down,  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  is  the 
hamlet  of  Sleepy  Hollow,  in  whose  vicinity  are  many  spots 
immortalized  in  the  writings  of  Washington  Irving. 
Irving’s  grave  is  here.  The  stone  bridge  mentioned  in  the 
ride  of  Ichabod  Crane  is  still  standing,  as  is  also  the  old 
Dutch  church,  built  in  1699. 


60 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Just  below  is  Tarrytown,  where  Major  Andre  was  cap- 
tured, and  near  which  the  scene  of  Irving’s  story  of  Rip  Van 
Winkle  is  laid. 

As  we  pass  down  the  river  here,  our  attention  is  attracted 
to  the  palisades,  a wonderful  line  of  precipitous  stone  walls, 
from  200  to  300  feet  in  height,  extending  for  20  miles 
along  the  west  shore  of  the  Hudson.  These,  with  the  other 
scenic  features  of  the  Hudson,  caused  it  to  receive  the 
appellation,  “ Rhine  of  America.” 

A short  distance  southward  we  arrive  at  Yonkers,  a health- 
ful, suburban,  residence  town,  adjoining  New  York  city. 

We  are  now  approaching  the  largest  city  on  the  western 
continent  and  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world.  It  is  built 
mainly  on  Manhattan  Island,  which  is  over  thirteen  miles 
long  and  over  two  miles  wide  in  the  widest  portion.  The 
city  itself  has  a population  of  over  1,600,000,  while,  with 
Brooklyn,  Jersey  City,  and  other  adjoining  towns,  which 
are  really  simply  suburbs  of  New  York,  there  is,  within  a 
circle  of  20  miles,  taking  the  City  Hall  as  a center,  a popu- 
lation of  about  3,500,000.  The  island  of  Manhattan  is 
bounded  by  the  Hudson,  Hast  and  Harlem  rivers,  and  a 
short  distance  on  the  north  by  Spuyten  Duyvel  creek. 

As  we  reach  the  island,  we  first  notice  Riverside  Park, 
where  our  beloved  General  Grant  is  buried.  His  magnifi- 
cent monument-tomb,  which  reaches  300  feet  above  the 
waters  of  the  river,  will  long  be  admired  and  remembered 
as  the  grandest  mausoleum  ever  erected  by  an  enlightened 
people.. 


EASTERN  STATES. 


61 


A little  further  down,  and  further  inland,  is  that  pride  of 
every  New  Yorker,  the  Central  Park.  This  park  is  over 
2*^2  miles  long  and  over  one-half  a mile  wide.  It  was  for- 
merly (less  than  40  years  ago)  a dreary  waste  of  rubbish 
piles  and  scrubby  thickets,  and  was  dotted  here  and  there 
with  forlorn  shanties  of  the  most  wretched  sort.  Since  it 
was  laid  out,  in  1858,  over  $15,000,000  has  been  expended 
upon  its  improvement,  with  a result  of  one  of  the  largest 
and  finest  parks  in  the  world.  Among  the  attractive  feat- 
ures are:  miles  of  rides,  g}4  miles  of  drives,  28  miles  of 

walks,  3 lakes,  8 bridges,  38  tunnels,  many  picturesque 
rocky  knolls,  the  Terrace,  a “ sumptuous  pile  of  light  Albert- 
freestone  masonry,  with  arcades  and  corridors,  and  rich 
carvings  of  birds  and  animals  the  famous  Bethesda  foun- 
tain; a ball  ground  ; the  Carrousel , a place  fitted  for  the 
amusement  of  young  children;  the  “ Zoo,  ” a menagerie  ; 
the  Belvedere,  a tall  Norman  stone  tower,  and  many  monu- 
ments, among  which  may  be  named  those  of  Scott,  Shakes- 
peare, Burns,  Fitz-Green  Halleck,  and  the  Beethoven  Bust. 

Now  we  are  in  the  midst  of  so  many  objects  of  interest 
that  our  modest  little  volume  might  be  fairly  filled  with 
descriptions  of  the  noteworthy  buildings,  etc. , to  be  found 
in  New’  York  and  Brooklyn.  We  prefer,  however,  to  leave 
the  teacher  here  to  make  his  own  selection  of  the  points  of 
interest  to  present  to  his  pupils.  The  field  is  so  rich  and  so 
well  known  that  no  teacher  needs  our  help  here. 


62 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


1.  Lake  Champlain 

2.  Crown  Point. 

3.  Ticonderoga. 

4.  Lake  George. 

5.  Adirondack  Mts. 

6.  Mt.  Marcy. 

7.  Hudson  River. 


8.  Glenn  Falls. 

9.  Saratoga. 

10.  Mohawk  River, 

11.  Rome. 

12.  Utica. 

13.  Erie  Canal. 

14.  Little  Falls. 

15.  Gloversville. 

16.  Johnstown. 

17.  Schenectady. 

18.  Great  Falls. 

19.  Cohoes. 

20.  Troy. 

21.  Albany. 

22.  Catskill  Mts. 

23.  Catskill. 

24.  Kingston. 

25.  Poughkeepsie. 

26.  Fishkill. 

27.  Newburgh. 

28.  Cornwall. 

29.  West  Point. 

30.  Stony  Point. 


SKETCH  OP  THE  HUDSON  RIVER 


31.  Haverstraw. 

32.  Tappan  Zee. 

33.  Croton  Lake. 

34.  Sing  Sing. 

35.  Sleepy  Hollow. 

36.  Tarrytown. 

37.  Yonkers. 

38.  Jersey  City. 

39.  New  York. 

40.  Brooklyn. 

41.  Long  Island. 

42.  Long  Island  ScL 

43.  New  York  Bay 

44.  Staten  Island. 

45.  The  Narrows. 

46.  Lower  Bay. 

47.  Atlantic  Ocean* 


Penn.  “ Keystone  State. 

1787.  “Keystones.” 


EASTERN  STATES. 


63 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


Boundary. 
Comparative  size. 
Lake  Erie. 


Rivers. 


' Delaware. 
Susquehanna. 
Juniata. 
Alleghany. 
Monongahela. 
„ Ohio. 


I Alleghany. 

Blue  Ridge. 
Chestnut  Ridge. 


Cities. 


' Philadelphia. 
Harrisburg. 
Pittsburg. 
Alleghany. 
Reading. 

, Erie. 


Products. 


Animal. 

Vegetable. 

Mineral. 


Manufactures. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

87.  The  Quaker  City. 

88.  The  City  of  Homes. 

89.  The  Smoky  City. 

90.  The  Walking  Purchase. 

91.  Old  State  House. 

92.  The  Liberty  Bell. 


64 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


93.  The  Birmingham  of  America. 

94.  Wyoming  Valley. 

95.  Valley  Forge. 

96.  The  United  States  Cemetery. 

97.  Mason  and  Dixon’s  Dine. 

98.  The  Black  Diamond  State. 

99.  Oil  Regions. 

100.  Coke  Ovens. 

101.  Capitals  of  United  States  (3.) 

102.  The  Centennial. 

103.  Serpentine  Barrens. 

104.  The  Nickel  Mines. 

105.  Queen  Esther’s  Rock. 

106.  Penn’s  Elm. 

107.  Johnstown  Flood. 

QUERIES. 

96.  Who  are  the  Pennsylvania  Dutch? 

97.  What  Indian  tribes  once  lived  in  this  state? 

98.  Who  was  the  Quaker  King? 

99.  Name  the  most  famous  document  in  Pennsylvania 
history. 

100.  How  were  the  streets  of  Philadelphia  named  ? 

101.  What  poet  is  known  as  the  Quaker  Poet  ? 

102.  Where  is  the  most  picturesque  part  of  Pennsylvania? 

103.  Where  and  how  do  railroad  engines  take  water  with- 
out stopping,  i.  e.,  “on  the  fly?” 

104.  What  do  the  people  of  northwestern  Pennsylvania 
use  for  fuel? 


EASTERN  STATES. 


65 


105.  Who  was  Gertrude  of  Wyoming  ? 

106.  What  have  the  authors  and  poets  of  this  state  written? 

107.  Which  city  in  our  country  produces  the  most  hosiery? 

108.  Which  one  exports  the  most  coal  ? 

109.  Name  the  noted  battlefields  of  Pennsylvania  ? 

no.  Which  city  of  the  United  States  manufactures  the 
most  glassware  ? 

in.  How  is  coal  oil  transported  in  this  country  ? 

1 12.  Look  up  the  history  of  the  Pennsylvania  Whisky 
War. 

1 13.  Can  you  repeat  Penn’s  speech  to  the  Indians  and 
their  reply? 

1 1 4.  What  names  bear  evidence  of  Indian  origin?  German? 

1 15.  What  college  forbids  ministers  to  enter  its  halls? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

PENN’S  ELM. 

At  Kensington,  within  Philadelphia  or  its  city  limits,  is  a 
plain  stone  monument,  which  marks  the  site  of  Penn’s  Elm, 
unde*  which  the  celebrated  treaty  was  made.  This  oral 
treaty  with  the  Indians,  which  neither  he  nor  they  ever 
violated,  is  the  large  white  spot  in  American  history  of  the 
dealings  with  the  aboriginal  owners  of  the  land.  It  is  said 
that  “not  a drop  of  Quaker  blood  was  ever  shed  by  an 
Indian.” 

STATE  HOUSE. 

Independence  Hall  was  begun  in  1729  and  completed  in 


66 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


1734,  at  a cost  of  $250,000.  This  is  a shrine  of  American 
Liberty!  Here  the  noble  men,  who  signed  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  imperiled  their  lives,  their  fortunes,  and 
their  honor.  Who  does  not  love  to  read  the  history  of  one’s 
own  native  land  ? Here  many  a poor  fellow,  wounded  at 
Brandywine,  breathed  his  last.  Here  American  prisoners, 
captured  at  Germantown,  were  confined.  Here  we  find  the 
old  State  House  bell.  Tell  its  story. 

THE  TRIANGLE. 

Running  due  west,  on  the  north  boundary  line  would  leave 
Pennsylvania  without  a lake  harbor,  and  the  early  settlers, 
intelligent  men,  saw  this.  Three  States  claimed  the  right 
to  dispose  of  this  three-cornered  piece  of  land.  After  some 
negotiations,  New  York,  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts 
surrendered  their  rights  to  the  United  States  government. 
Pennsylvania  paid  the  government  about  $150,000  in  “ Con- 
tinental certificates.”  Pennsylvania  also  paid  the  “Six 
Nations”  $2,000  for  their  interests. 

PETROLEUM. 

Petroleum,  or  mineral  oil,  is  thought  to  be  like  coal,  of 
vegetable  origin.  Wells  are  bored,  by  means  of  steel  drills, 
driven  by  powerful  machinery,  often  to  great  depths,  before 
the  oil  reservoir  is  tapped.  Sometimes  the  pressure  of  gas 
within  the  oil  reservoir  forces  the  petroleum  to  the  surface, 
causing  the  wells  to  overflow.  In  others,  the  petroleum  is 
pumped  to  the  surface.  To  increase  the  supply,  a torpedo 


EASTERN  STATES. 


67 


of  nitro-glycerine  is  exploded  at  the^  bottom  of  the  well. 
In  many  instances  reservoirs  of  highly  eombustible  gas  are 
struck  in  forcing  the  wells.  When  ignited,  this  gas  sends  a 
lurid  flame  into  the  air,  lighting  the  country  for  miles 
around.  These  wells  often  supply  towns  near  them  with 
fuel  and  light.  Pittsburg  saves  40,000,000  tons  of  coal 
annually  by  the  use  of  gas. — Barnes. 

Get  a piece  of  soft  (bituminous)  and  hard  (anthracite)  coal 
and  show  the  difference  between  them.  Notice  the  difference 
in  burning.  Tell  of  the  use  of  each.  Locate  the  regions 
containing  each. 

DESCRIBE  A COAL  MINE. 

Take  your  pupils  and  visit  one,  and,  experience  proves, 
that  it  will  be  one  of  the  pleasant  and  never  to  be  forgot- 
ten lessons. 

The  deepest  coal  mine  in  America  is  in  Pottsville,  Pa. 
The  shaft  is  1,576  feet  deep.  From  its  bottom,  almost  a 
third  of  a mile  down,  200  cars,  holding  four  tons  each,  are 
lifted  every  day.  They  are  run  upon  a platform,  and  the 
whole  weight  of  six  tons  is  hoisted,  at  a speed  that  makes 
the  head  swim,  the  time  occupied  in  shifting  a full  car  being 
only  a little  more  than  a minute.  The  hoisting  and  lower- 
ing of  men  into  coal  mines  is  regulated  by  law  in  that  State, 
and  only  ten  can  stand  on  a platform  at  once,  under  pen- 
alty of  a heavy  fine. 

THE  BURNING  MINE. 

The  mines  at  Summit  Hill,  Pa  , caught  fire  in  1832,  and 


68 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


thousands  upon  thousands  of  dollars  have  been,  and  are 
being,  expended,  to  extinguish  the  fire,  but  without  any 
success. 

They  will  probably  continue  to  burn  until  there  is  no  coal 
left  to  feed  the  underground  conflagration. 

The  effects  of  the  fire  and  the  heat  produced  are  visible  at 
all  points  in  this  vicinity,  and  the  mines  are  gradually, 
day  by  day,  tumbling  in,  as  the  coal  is  burned  away.  No 
attention  was  paid  to  the  fire  at  first,  but  it  has  gradually 
crept  along,  under  the  surface,  until  hundreds  of  valuable 
coal  fields  are  now  laid  waste. 

DISCOVERY  OF  HARD  COAL. 

Philip  Ginter  was,  to  the  hills  of  the  Lehigh  Valley,  what 
Rip  Van  Winkle  was  to  the  region  along  the  Hudson. 
Philip  was  a tramp  of  the  Mauch  Chunk  region,  who  was 
fonder  of  his  gun  and  dog  than  of  cleanliness  and  sobriety. 
One  day,  in  1791,  he  had  been  out  on  a hunting  expedition, 
and,  as  usual,  he  had  fallen  asleep  under  a tree,  when  a rain 
awakened  him.  He  rubbed  his  eyes,  swore  at  his  ill-luck, 
and  started  homeward. 

Amidst  the  rain  and  the  approaching  night,  he  felt  for- 
saken, and,  accidently  stumbling,  he  displaced  a number  of 
black  stones . 

Now  Philip  had  heard  of  “ black  stones  that  would 
burn,”  but  supposed  it  to  be  a legend,  or  fairy  story';  how- 
ever, being  of  an  inquisitive  turn  of  mind,  he  picked  up  a 
few  specimens  and  carried  them  home. 


EASTERN  STATES. 


69 


Shortly  afterwards  he  showed  them  to  a friend,  who  took 
them  to  Philadelphia  for  an  examination,  where  they  were 
pronounced  to  be  stone  coal.  A company  of  men  determined 
to  buy  out  Ginter,  but  Philip  reasoned  to  himself  that,  if  it 
was  worth  the  sum  they  offered,  it  was  worth  more,  and  he 
refused  their  proposition. 

They  intimated  that  others  could  find  the  same  place, 
when  Philip  informed  them,  in  Pennsylvania  Dutch,  they 
might  hunt  until  doomsday,  and  they  never  would  find  it. 

Then  they  agreed  to  his  proposal  and  gave  him  a tract  of 
land  along  a stream,  upon  which  he  built  a mill. 

Scarcely  was  the  mill  erected  when  it  was  ascertained  that 
the  title  was  worthless. 

MAUCH  CHUNK. 

Mauch  Chunk  (Bear  Mountain)  lies  in  a mountain  valley, 
on  the  Lehigh  River,  in  the  center  of  the  hard  coal  region. 
Near  by  is  Mount  Pisgah,  with  its  famous  inclined  plane 
and  the  Gravity  Railroad  to  the  coal  mines. 

Near  Mauch  Chunk,  in  1791,  anthracite  coal  was  dis- 
covered by  Philip  Ginter.  The  Centennial  anniversary  of 
the  discovery  of  coal  was  celebrated  here. 

Anthracite  was  first  called  “black  stone,”  and  experi- 
ments in  Philadelphia  asserted  that  it  put  out  the  fire. 

Thirty  years  expired  ere  the  shipments  were  of  great 
value.  The  mines  are  nine  miles  back  from  the  river,  and 
in  1827,  a track  was  built  for  the  cars  to  run  down,  of  their 
own  accord,  hence  the  name  Gravity  Railroad. 


70 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  cars  were  pulled  back  by  mules,  which  were  sent 
down  on  each  train. 

In  1844,  the  inclined  plane  was  laid  to  the  top  of  Mount 
Pisgah,  on  which  a stationary  engine  does  the  work,  formerly 
done  by  the  mules,  and  then  by  a zigzag  track,  called  the 
Switch  Back,  the  cars  reach  the  mines  again. 

In  case  of  an  accident  on  the  inclined  plane,  the  cars  are 
provided  with  brakes  that  will  stop  the  cars,  at  any  desired 
time,  on  any  portion  of  the  track. 

Mauch  Chunk  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  places  in 
America,  and  is  visited  by  thousands  of  tourists  every  year. 

PITTSBURG. 

The  Iron  City  is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Alleghany 
and  Monongahela  rivers. 

The  city  is  in  the  heart  of  the  soft  coal  region,  and  the 
smoke  from  the  foundries,  factories,  steamboats  and  dwell- 
ings settles  over  the  valley,  until  the  sun  loses  his  brightness 
in  the  thick,  sooty  haze. 

By  means  of  the  Alleghany  River,  from  the  north,  the 
product  of  the  oil  wells  is  shipped  to  Pittsburg.  The  crude 
petroleum  passes  through  the  refineries  and  then  is  exported. 

It  is  the  greatest  oil  market  in  the  world.  Of  late  years 
the  coal  and  oil  industry  has  been  checked  by  the  discovery 
and  use  of  gas,  which  is  obtained  by  sinking  wells  from  600 
to  2,000  feet  in  depth. 

The  gas  is  used  extensively  as  fuel  for  the  factories  and 
for  lighting  and  heating  purposes.  Millions  of  tons  of  coke 

4- 


EASTERN  STATES. 


71 


are  handled  here  annually.  Pittsburg  ranks  first  in  manu- 
facturing glassware,  and  in  iron  and  steel  industry.  No 
other  city  compares  with  Pittsburg  in  the  number  and  vari- 
ety of  her  factories. 

At  the  Fort  Pitt  Works  are  cast  the  big  twenty-inch  guns. 
The  guns  weigh  sixty  tons  and  cost  $50,000.  A ball  for 
these  cannon  weighs  over  1,000  lbs. 

The  American  Iron  Works  cover  seventeen  acres. 

They  have  an  iron  mine  on  Take  Superior  and  a coal 
mine  at  their  back  door.  They  make  nearly  everything 
that  can  be  made  out  of  iron.  They  employ  2,500  workmen. 

The  various  nail  works  are  well  worth  a visit. 

In  some  of  them  1000  nails  are  made  in  a minute. 

Nails  are  made  by  a single  blow  of  a machine,  on  cold  iron, 
and  the  noise,  once  heard,  will  never  be  forgotten. 

The  name  recalls  America’s  foremost  champion  m the 
English  Parliament.  Near  here  is  the  scene  of  Braddock’s 
memorable  defeat. 

Pittsburg  has  the  largest  ax  factory  in  the  world.  It  turns 
out  3,000  axes  per  day. 

PHILADELPHIA. 

The  City  of  Brotherly  Love  is  situated  on  a broad,  fair 
stream,  and  deep  enough  to  permit  the  large  ocean  vessels 
to  approach  its  wharves.  The  bay  below  is  large  enough  to 
accommodate  all  the  fleets  of  the  world. 

It  enjoys  all  the  advantages  of  a seaport.  Its  nearness  to 
the  iron  and  coal  mines  accounts  for  its  extensive  iron  and 


72 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


steel  industries  and  other  manufacturing  interests,  which 
exceed  the  shipping  interests. 

It  is  the  center  of  the  greatest  carpet  manufactures  in  the 
United  States. 

Philadelphia  and  New  York  control  nearly  all  the  export 
trade  in  petroleum. 

Terra-cotta  ware  is  one  of  the  noted  productions  of  this 
city.  In  this  vicinity  are  the  largest  and  most  important 
ship  building  yards  in  the  United  States. 

There  are  no  tenement  houses,  owing  to  the  building  so- 
cieties, which  enable  and  encourage  the  people  to  invest  in 
homes  of  their  own.  Philadelphia  retains  more  of  the  old 
customs,  old  houses  and  old  laws,  than  any  other  city.  The 
early  Quaker  settlers  have  stamped  indelibly  their  traits  of 
character  upon  these  people. 

Among  the  interesting  places  are  Independence  Hall,  in 
which  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  signed;  the 
United  States  Mint,  the  first  in  the  country,  and  where  most 
of  our  coin  is  made;  the  Bank  of  North  America,  the  oldest 
in  the  United  States;  the  United  States  Arsenal,  the  grounds 
of  which  cover  sixty-two  acres,  where  ammunition  is  manu- 
factured; the  naval  asylum,  where  army  clothing  is  made; 
nnmerous  schools,  churches,  and  cemeteries,  where  many 
noted  men  are  buried. 

Around  Philadelphia  cluster  many  scenes  of  historic  note. 
The  First  and  Second  Continental  Congress  assembled  here. 
It  was  the  capital  of  the  United  States  for  ten  years. 

The  battles  of  Germantown  and  Brandywine  were  fought 


EASTERN  STATES. 


IS 


near  the  city.  The  first  American  flag,  the  stars  and  stripes, 
was  made  here  by  Mrs.  Ross.  A bi-centennial  celebration 
of  the  founding  of  the  city  was  held  in  1882,  in  which  the 
ship  Welcome  arrived;  a mimic  Penn  again  visited  the  Blue 
Anchor,  and  made  a treaty  with  the  Indians.  The  Centen- 
nial Celebration  of  American  Independence  was  observed  by 
one  of  the  world's  largest  gatherings. 

ERIE. 

Erie,  built  upon  the  site  of  the  old  French  Fort,  de  la 
Presqu  isle,  is  Pennsylvania's  only  lake  port.  It  has  a safe 
and  commodious  harbor — one  of  the  best  on  the  lakes.  The 
harbor — four  miles  long  and  one  mile  wide — is  protected  by 
the  island  of  Presque  isle.  The  city^  has  many  manufactures 
and  considerable  commerce.  Its  position  makes  it  the 
natural  shipping  point  for  large  quantities  of  coal,  lumber, 
iron  and  oil,  furnished  by  northwestern  Pennsylvania. 

It  was  here  that  Perry  fitted  out  the  fleet  that  won  the 
Battle  of  Rake  Erie  in  the  War  of  18*12. 

It  contains  a State  Soldiers'  Home  and  the  finest  church 
building  (St.  Peter’s  Cathedral)  in  the  state. 


74 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


NEW  JERSEY. 


r Comparative  size. 
Atlantic  Ocean. 


<D  <D 
cd  ^ 

' PQ 


co 

S 

cd 

f-H 

Oi 


Bays. 


f New  York. 
1 Delaware. 


(Delaware. 
Hudson. 
Passaic. 

Blue  Ridge  Mountains. 

_ f Sandy  Hook. 

Capes.  | May 


<D 


& 


,oo 


Cities. 


" Newark. 
Jersey  City. 
Patterson. 

1 Trenton. 

I Camden. 
[Long  Branch. 


Products. 


" Vegetables. 
Fruits. 

- Manufactures. 
Fisheries. 

. Commerce. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

108.  Cranberry  Marshes. 

109.  Gardens. 

no.  Silk  City  of  America, 
in.  Peat  Bogs. 

1 12.  The  Summer  City  by  the  Sea. 

1 1 3.  Lead  Pencils. 

1 14.  Celluloid. 

1 15.  Famous  dueling  ground. 


EASTERN  STATES. 


75 


QUERIES. 

116.  Wliy  was  New  Jersey  so  named  ? 

1 17.  What  price  was  paid  the  Indians  for  the  site  of  New- 
ark? 

1 18.  Name  the  oldest  town. 

1 1 9.  What  noted  battles  were  fought  in  this  State? 

120.  Which  town  produces  the  most  pottery  and  crockery  ? 

12 1.  What  is  marl?  Its  use? 

122.  Where  are  locomotives  manufactured? 

123.  What  canals  in  this  State? 

124.  What  is  a map  ? Chart  ? 

PORT  JERVIS. 

At  Port  Jervis,  he,  who  has  a fancy  for  it,  may,  at  low 
water,  stand  on  a rock  in  the  river,  with  one  foot  in  New 
York,  the  other  in  Pennsylvania,  and  touch  with  his  hand 
New  Jersey. 

CAMDEN. 

Camden  is  just  opposite  Philadelphia,  on  the  Delaware 
River.  It  is  noted  for  its  shipyards,  where  some  of  the  large 
American  ships  are  built,  and  dry  docks  for  repairing  them. 
The  principal  nickel  plate  works  in  the  United  States  are  in 
this  city. 

The  steel  pen  manufactory  of  Esterbrook  & Co.,  is  here. 

ATLANTIC  CITY. 

Atlantic  City  is  one  of  the  most  popular  resorts  on  the 
Atlantic  coast.  It  is  60  miles  southeast  of  Philadelphia. 


76 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  long  avenues  named  after  the  oceans,  and  the  streets 
from  the  various  States,  are  all  delightful  drives. 

The  physicians  urge  the  advantage  of  Atlantic  City  as  a 
winter  resort  equal  with  Florida  and  other  warmer  climes. 

It  has  been  styled  “ The  American  Brighton,  ” and  its  sea- 
sons attract  both  seekers  for  health  and  seekers  for  pleasure. 

One  -hundred  hotels,  besides  many  private  cottages,  can 
furnish  accommodation  to  40,000  people. 

JERSEY  CITY. 

The  site  of  this  city  was  used  as  farming  land  by  the 
Dutch  for  150  years.  In  1802,  Paulus  Hook,  as  it  was  then 
called,  contained  one  house  and  thirteen  persons. 

In  1838  it  was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  ‘‘Jersey 
City.” 

This  city,  though  in  another  State,  is  really  an  extension 
of  New  York  city,  and  closely  connected  with  it,  in  more 
ways  than  one.  The  Morris  canal,  13  lines  of  railroads, 
and  4 lines  of  ocean  steamers  terminate  here. 

Its  chief  manufactories  comprise  watches,  crucibles,  glass, 
locomotives,  lead  pencils,  machinery,  etc.  There  are  brew- 
eries, foundries,  sugar  refineries,  and  large  trade  in  coal  and 
iron. 

It  has  a large  and  fine  harbor. 

PRINCETON. 

Princeton  is  noted  for  being  the  seat  of  the  New  Jersey 
college,  or  what  is  more  often  called  Princeton  College,  and 
the  theological  seminary  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 


EAvSTERN  STATES. 


77 


Nassau  Hall  was  used  as  a hospital  by  both  American 
and  British  troops  during  the  revolutionary  war.  This  col- 
lege has  a very  large  refracting  telescope.  Its  object  glass 
is  twenty-three  inches  in  diameter.  The  cost  was  $26,000. 
Here  General  Washington  gained  a signal  victory  over  the 
British  and  then  retreated  to  Morristown.  Here  the  conti- 
nental Congress  assembled  when  compelled  to  flee  from 
Philadelphia. 

SUMMER  RESORTS. 

The  Atlantic  coast  of  New  Jersey  is  famous  for  the  num- 
ber of  its  seaside  resorts.  The  New  Jersey  coast  is  celebrated 
for  its  many  miles  of  beautiful  beaches,  which  afford  mag- 
nificent walks  and  drives. 

A great  many  large  hotels  are  found  along  the  beach  at 
Tong  Branch,  Ocean  Grove,  Asbury  Park,  Atlantic  City, 
Cape  May,  and  other  places. 

The  bathing  facilities,  the  races,  the  boat  clubs  and  ath- 
letic sports  and  camp-meetings  are  some  of  the  principal 
attractions. 

Many  wealthy  people  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  have 
built  summer  cottages  at  these  places  and  during  the  hot 
season  their  families  reside  here. 

SPANIARDS. 

After  the  downfall  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  his  brother,  then 
King  of  Spain,  and  his  nephew,  became  desirous  of  locat- 
ing in  this  country,  but  were  unable  to  own  land  owing  to 
State  Alien  Taws. 


78 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Application  was  made  to  several  States  for  a special  act  of 
the  legislature  in  order  that  they  might  become  possessors 
of  land. 

The  New  Jersey  legislature  granted  their  petition,  and  near 
Bordentown,  Joseph  Bonaparte  bought  land,  upon  which 
was  built  and  elegantly  furnished  the  finest  house  then  in 
this  country. 

It  became  the  visiting  center  of  the  people  from  surround- 
ing States,  callers  being  kindly  received  and  royally  treated. 

The  Jersey  people  were  tauntingly  spoken  of  as  foreigners 
and  Spaniards , inasmuch  as  they  had  a King . 

NEVERSINK  HIGHLANDS. 

These  highlands  have  a post  of  honor  among  American 
Hills,  the  first  to  greet  the  eyes  of  the  incoming  mariner 
and  the  last  to  fade  from  the  view  of  those  who  go 
from  the  New  York  harbor. 

On  Beacon  Hill  is  a double-towered  lighthouse  furnished 
with  the  best  “ Fresnel  ” lights.  The  light  can  be  seen  a 
distance  of  thirty-five  miles,  or  as  far  as  the  altitude  lowers 
the  horizon. 

The  government  paid  thirty  thousand  dollars  to  the  French 
for  this  light. 

Many  of  the  scenes  of  Cooper’s  “Water  Witch”  were 
laid  in  this  locality. 

Near  by  was  fought  the  memorable  battle  of  Monmouth, 
of  Revolutionary  fame. 


EASTERN  STATES. 


79 


NEWARK. 

Newark,  the  chief  city  of  New  Jersey,  is  situated  on  the 
Passaic  River,  nine  miles  west  of  New  York  City. 

Its  pleasant  location,  its  extensive  manufactories,  its  con- 
nection with  the  Lehigh  Valley  coal  mines  by  the  Morris 
canal,  its  many  schools  and  churches,  all  make  it  an  im- 
portant city. 

The  manufacture  of  celluloid  goods-  is  mostly  confined  to 
this  place. 

It  is  said  that  over  400  different  manufacturers  exist  in 
this  city,  and  no  other  city  has  contributed  more  useful  in- 
ventions to  the  industrial  world. 

Newark  leads  in  trunk  and  valise  making. 

There  are  several  large  sugar  refineries  here. 

East  Newark,  or  Harrison,  is  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
Passaic  River  and  is  noteworthy  on  account  of  the  Clark 
Thread  Works  located  there.  The  chimney  of  the  Thread 
works  (335  feet),  is  the  highest  in  the  United  States.  Dur- 
ing a thunder  storm  in  March,  1890,  it  was  struck  by  light- 
ning twice  in  the  same  place.  As  no  provision  had  been 
made  for  ascending  the  chimney,  it  became  quite  a problem 
as  to  how  the  chimney  could  be  ascended,  inspected  and  re- 
paired. At  last,  a roofer  named  John  Philips,  ‘‘Steeple 
Jack,”  of  Newark,  was  engaged  to  make  the  ascent,  which 
he  did  by  fastening  a great  number  of  ladders,  one  above 
the  other,  to  the  side  of  the  chimney  by  means  of  stout  iron 
staples  which  he  drove  through  the  brickwork.  The  feat 


80 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


involved  some  original  personal  engineering  and  attracted 
considerable  attention  and  many  sightseers  at  the  time. 

TIMBER  MINES. 

In  southern  New  Jersey  along  the  Atlantic  coast  are  the 
famous  * ‘ sea  meadows,  ’ ’ which  extend  inland  nearly  two 
miles. 

Farther  inland,  lagoons  or  salt  water  lakes  are  formed,  in 
the  vicinity  of  which  are  many  marshes.  Near  Dennisville, 
cedar  logs  are  found  within  a few  feet  of  the  surface  of  these 
marshes. 

Iron  rods  are  pushed  down  until  the  logs  are  struck,  when 
they  are  dug  out  and  sawn  into  lumber  and  shingles. 

This  industry  furnishes  scores  of  people  in  this  part  of 
New  Jersey  with  profitable  employment  and  has  made  com- 
fortable fortunes  for  many  citizens. 

The  fallen  and  submerged  cedar  forests  of  southern  New 
Jersey  were  discovered  first  beneath  the  Dennisville  swamps 
seventy-five  years  ago,  and  have  been  a source  of  constant 
interest  to  geologists  and  scientists  ever  since,.  There 
are  standing  at  the  present  day  no.  such  enormous 
specimens  of  the  cedar  anywhere  on  the  face  of  the  globe  as 
are  found  imbedded  in  the  deep  muck  of  the  Dennisville 
swamps.  Some  of  the  trees  have  been  uncovered  measuring 
six  feet  in  diameter,  and  trees  four  feet  through  are  com- 
mon. Many  of  these  were,  perhaps,  2,000  years  of  age. 
They  are  in  a fair  state  of  preservation. 

Dennisville  is  the  result  of  this  industry. 


EASTERN  STATES. 


81 


DELAWARE. 


a ~ . 

c «g 

3 v3 

c3  S 


c3 

£ 

cd 

T 

o 


00 


Size. 

Atlantic  Ocean. 
Delaware  Bay. 
Delaware  River. 
Canal. 


Cape  Henlopen. 


Cities. 


Wilmington. 

Dover. 


Products. 


f Fruit. 

1 Grains. 

I Oysters. 

[ Manufactures. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 


1 1 6.  c 4 Blue  Hen’ s Chickens.  ’ ’ 

1 1 7.  Three  lower  counties  on  the  Delaware. 

1 18.  Port  of  Entry. 

119.  Peach  Crop. 

120.  Berries. 

12 1.  The  Breakwater. 

122.  The  Ice-breaker. 

123.  New  Sweden. 

124.  Cypress  Swamp. 


QUERIES. 

125.  Of  what  is  powder  made  ? 

126.  Which  is  the  most  level  state  in  the  Union?. 


82 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


127.  What  state  still  retains  the  whippingpost? 

128.  What  state  is  next  to  Rhode  Island  in  size? 

129.  With  what  state  was  Delaware  connected  for  many 
years  ? 

130.  How  did  the  Brandywine  Creek  receive  its  name? 

1 3 1 . Where  is  the  largest  breakwater  in  the  United  States  ? 

132.  The  Delaware  River  has  an  estuary.  What  is  an 
estuary? 

133.  Is  Delaware  entitled  to  a member  in  the  House  of 
Representatives? 

CIRCLE  BOUNDARY. 

It  dates  back  to  a singular  deed  made  by  the  Duke  of 
York  to  William  Penn,  which  reads  thus:  “August  24, 
1784,  : all  that  the  town  of  New  Castle,  and  all  that  tract 
of  land  within  ‘the  compass  or  circle  of  twelve  miles  of  the 
same.”  By  Penn’s  charter  the  southern  boundary  of  Penn- 
sylvania was  “by  a circle  drawn  at  twelve  miles  northward 
and  westward,  into  the  beginning  of  the  40°  north  latitude, 
and  then  west  by  a straight  line. 

THE  HARVEST  OF  WILLOWS. 

A curious  harvest,  do  you  say  ? Yet  during  the  spring 
months  this  harvest  actually  takes  place  in  Delaware  ne^r 
the  powder  mills. 

The  acid  from  the  willow  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
gunpowder. 

The  banks  of  the  brcoks  and  creeks  are  lined  with  wil- 
lows. The  farmers  are  well  paid  for  this  kind  of  a crop — 


EASTERN  STATES. 


83 


they  receive  six  to  eight  dollars  per  cord  for  the  branches, 
the  latter  if  the  bark  is  removed. 

Young  men  among  the  farmers  and  mill  hands,  and  young 
women  from  the  factories,  gather  at  some  farm  house  for  a 
night’s  pastime  and  sport. 

The  shrewd  farmer  has  the  bark  pealed  and  the  young- 
sters enjoy  themselves  as  well  as  at  a “corn  husking.” 

WILMINGTON. 

The  metropolis  of  Delaware,  is  twenty-eight  miles  south- 
west of  Philadelphia,  on  the  Brandywine  creek.  The 
Brandywine  has  a fall  of  1 20  feet  within  four  miles  of  the 
city,  and  along  its  banks  are  extensive  flour  mills,  the  cele- 
brated powder  mills,  paper  mills,  rolling  mills,  watch  fac- 
tories, morocco  factories,  car  wheel  works,  pulp  works,  car 
shops  and  shipyards.  Wilmington  was  the  first  city  in  this 
country  to  make  iron  ships. 

It  excels  in  the  production  of  carriages  and  passenger 
cars.  The  old  Swede’s  Church,  built  in  1698,  is  still 
standing  in  a fair  state  of  preservation.  In  the  war  of 
1812,  the  powrder  works  near  Wilmington  furnished  the  sole 
supply  for  the  American  army. 

BURIED  CEDAR  TIMBER. 

“We’re  all  in  theloggin’  business,”  yet  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach  not  a tree  could  be  seen  standing  that  would 
even  make  the  ghost  of  a fair  log.  “ They  ain’t  agrowin’,” 
continued  the  man.  “ They’re  under  ground.  We  dig  for 


84 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


them,  or  spear  them,  as  you  might  say.  Here’s  the 
tool,”  and  stepping  into  a low  hut  he  brought  out  a crow- 
bar that,  like  everything  else,  seemed  attenuated  and  was 
stretched  out  into  a long,  slender-pointed  rod.  “We  wade 
along,”  continued  the  man,  “and  probe  with  this  feeler, 
and  when  we  strike  a log  we  feel  around,  and  if  it’s  a good 
one  we  dig  her  up,  and  if  it  aint  we  let  her  soak ; that’s 
about  the  way  of  it.” 

“The  secret  of  this  business,”  said  my  friend,  the  geolo- 
gist, “is  that  ages  ago  all  this  area  was  covered  with  a fine 
growth  of  large  trees,  and  the  same  are  found  growing  in  some 
parts  of  the  swamp  yet,  but  they  have  died  out  and  fallen 
down,  and  sunk  into  the  soft  mud,  and  so  been  covered  up  by 
mold  and  mud,  until  many  other  layers  have  grown  over 
them;  but  in  some  remarkable  way  the  wood  is  preserved, 
and  these  sunken  ancient  logs  are  just  as  good  for  shingles 
and  other  articles  as  they  were  when  alive;  hence  for  many 
years  there  had  been  a steady  hunt  for  them. 

‘ ‘The  trees  upon  or  near  the  surface  are  the  only  ones  avail- 
able, and,  fortunately,  are  the  best,  but  far  below  there  are 
probably  myriads  of  others  turned  to  stone,  and  representing 
the  past  geological  ages  of  the  earth.  The  logs  are  worked 
out  by  the  men  who  are  nicknamed  ‘ Swampoodles,  ’ and 
who  live  in  the  malarious  districts  all  their  lives.  When  a 
log  is  found  a ditch  is  made  about  it,  into  which  the  water 
soon  flows.  A great  saw  is  then  applied,  and  the  roots  re- 
moved, and,  as  a rule,  the  log  will  rise  to  the  surface,  and 
can  be  cut  up  and  carried  off,  though  in  many  localities  the 


EASTERN  STATES. 


85 


shingles  are  made  right  on  the  spot  and  dragged  over  the 
swamps  on  roads,  in  many  cases,  made  of  boughs  and  twigs. 
This  curious  business  is  not  confined  to  New  Jersey;  but 
over  in  Delaware  and  Maryland  there  are  similar  swamps, 
where  the  shingle  business  has  been  carried  on  for  years. 
One  of  the  swamps  in  Delaware  extends  over  twenty-five 
square  miles,  and  hardly  a house  in  Sussex  County  but 
what  is  shingled  from  the  ancient  deposit.” — Cor,  Philadel- 
phia Times . 


SET  QUESTIONS, 

As  the  class  advance  they  need  reviews  of  various  kinds. 
This  device  has  been  tried  with  good  success.  Place  the 
“set”  questions  on  the  board  and  then  assign  each  pupil  a 
state  to  apply  them  by  written  work.  Fill  in  the  blanks. 

1.  The  nickname  of is state. 

2.  The  people  of are  called . 

3.  The  capital  of is . 

4.  The  cities  of are • 

5.  The  metropolis  of is . 

6.  was  admitted  in 

7.  The  products  are — . 

8.  The  rivers  are . 

9.  The  noted  men  are . 

10.  The  curiosities  are . 

Continue  this  work  occasionally  as  the  class  progress. 


86 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


MARYLAND. 


Si  §, 

d Qh 

■'  a 

3 


Xfx 


^ S 

c 2 
- o 


1 


nd 

u 

d . 

^oo 

J?oo 

ctf 


Comparative  size. 

Atlantic  Ocean. 
Chesapeake  Bay. 

Rivers.  j l^tomac. 

t Susquehanna. 

Mountains  { ?^^e* 

( Allegheny. 

! Baltimore. 
Annapolis. 
Frederick. 

^ Animal. 

Products.  < Vegetable. 

( Mineral. 

District  of  Columbia. 
Washington. 
v Georgetown. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 


125.  The  Monumental  City. 

126.  Oyster  Pungies. 

127.  The  Naval  School. 

128.  The  Cardinal  City. 

129.  Baltimore  Riot. 

130.  First  Telegram. 

131.  Star  Spangled  Banner. 

132.  The  City  of  Magnificent  Distances. 

133.  Johns  Hopkins  University. 

134.  Peabody  Institute. 


EASTERN  STATES. 


87 


QUERIES. 

134.  Can  oysters  live  in  fresh  water? 

135.  What  are  spats  ? 

136.  What  were  “Conestoga  wagons?” 

137.  Are  oysters  planted  ? 

138.  What  city  of  over  200,000  inhabitants  cannot  cast 
a vote  for  president  ? 

139.  Does  the  state  receive  a revenue  from  the  oyster 
business  ? 

140.  How  much  seacoast  has  Maryland? 

141.  What  was  Ford  Baltimore’s  real  name? 

142.  What  historic  incident  occurred  at  Frederick? 

143.  Where  is  Francis  S.  Key  buried? 

144.  What  canal  in  Mar}dand  ?' 

145.  What  territories  of  United  States  have  no  county 
divisions  ? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

ANNAPOLIS. 

Annapolis,  named  after  Queen  Anne,  is  situated  on  the 
Severn  River  about  two  miles  from  Chesapeake  Bay.  It 
was  formerly  a port  of  entry  and  the  center  of  considerable 
trade  and  commercial  activity,  now  it  is  a quiet,  old  town, 
noted  chiefly  as  the  capital  of  the  state,  and  for  the  presence 
of  the  United  States  Naval  Academy.  To  this  academy, 
boys  from  15  to  18  years  of  age  are  admitted,  after  passing 
an  examination  both  physical  and  mental,  and  receive  four 
years’  instruction  in  all  branches  of  the  naval  profession,  as 


88 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


well  as  in  other  studies.  Extensive  grounds  are  connected 
with  the  academy,  on  which  was  recently  built  a naval  hos- 
pital. Two  sloops  of  war  are  used  in  the  summer  as  train- 
ing ships. 

At  the  session  of  Congress  at  Annapolis,  in  1783,  Wash- 
ington surrendered  his  commission  as  commander-in-chief 
of  the  army. 

CRISFIELD  AND  WESTOVER. 

The  little  town  of  Crisfield,  on  the  southern  part  of  the 
Maryland  peninsula,  is  said  to  be  ‘‘a  town  of  oysters  built 
on  oyster  shells.’ ’ 

Maryland  exceeds  all  other  states  in  the  gathering  and 
shipping  of  the  delicious  and  succulent  bivalve.  The  oysters 
are  gathered  by  means  of  dredges  resembling  large  iron 
purses.  The  mouth  of  each  purse  consists  of  a pair  of  iron 
jaws,  and  the  pocket  of  iron  chain  work.  The  dredges  are 
dragged  along  by  sail  boats  under  full  sail  and  raised  every 
few  moments  to  be  emptied.  From  this  little  place  alone, 
over  40,000  barrels  of  shell  oysters,  and  400,000  gallons  of 
shucked  oysters  are  shipped  annually. 

Westover,  sixteen  miles  north  of  Crisfield,  is  the  center 
of  another  very  important  but  far  different  industry — the 
raising  and  shipping  of  strawberries.  More  than  600,000 
baskets  of  the  luscious  red  berries  are  shipped  annually  from 
this  point.  The  Westover  House,  a grand  old  mansion, 
with  an  air  of  departed  glory  about  it,. still  stands,  a mute 
reminder  of  the  bygone  days  of  the  “American  nobility.” 


EASTERN  STATES. 


89 


BALTIMORE. 

Baltimore,  named  after  Lord  Baltimore,  the  founder  of 
Maryland,  is  one  of  the  three  most  important  seaports  on 
the  Atlantic  Coast  of  the  United  States. 

Its  nearness  to  the  coal,  iron  and  oil  regions  give  it  a 
marked  advantage  over  many  of  the  other  seaports.  It  is 
estimated  that  an  ocean  steamer  can  save  about  $2,000  on  its 
coal  bill  in  a single  trip  by  starting  from  Baltimore  instead 
of  New  York  or  Boston.  The  harbor  is  large,  deep  and 
safe.  Fort  McHenry  guards  the  entrance  to  the  port.  It 
was  when  a prisoner  on  a British  war-ship  that  with  others 
was  besieging  Fort  McHenry,  that  Francis  S.  Key  wrote  the 
famous  ‘ 4 Star  Spangled  Banner,”  in  1814.  The  principal 
industries  are  oyster  packing,  fruit  canning,  manufacture  of 
cotton  goods,  exportation  of  coal,  cotton,  lumber,  lard,  fruit 
and  provisions.  The  largest  iron  rolling  mills  in  the 
United  States  are  located  here.  Baltimore  has  many  im- 
portant manufacturing  industries.  Among  the  notable  in- 
stitutions' of  the  city  are  the  Maryland  Institution  for  the 
Blind,  Sheppard  Asylum  for  the  Insane,  Peabody  Institution, 
Hopkins  Hospital  and  the  Johns  Hopkins  University. 

The  city  is  supplied  with  water  from  Lake  Roland,  seven 
miles  distant,  by  a system  of  water  works,  that  are  said  to 
be  the  grandest  in  the  world. 

4*Uruid  Hill,  the  noblest  forest  park  in  the  United  States, 
occupies  600  acres  just  north  of  the  city. 


90 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA. 

This  territory  originally  contained  ioo  sections  of  land, 
situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Potomac  River. 

The  southern  part,  thirty-six  square  miles,  was  re-ceded  to 
Virginia.  It  was  named  Columbia  in  honor  of  the  dis- 
coverer of  America.  Washington  and  Georgetown  are  the 
only  two  cities.  The  district  is  under  the  control  of  the 
Federal  Congress.  There  are  many  fine  public  buildings, 
most  of  which  will  be  mentioned  under  the  subject  Wash- 
ington. 

The  National  Soldiers’  Home  is  two  miles  north  of  Wash- 
ington, and  was  built  in  1851  by  the  balance  on  hand  of 
Gen.  Scott’s  levied  contributions  in  the  Mexican  War. 

WASHINGTON. 

The  capital  of  our  country  is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Potomac,  about  116  miles  from  its  mouth,  on  the  site 
chosen  by  our  first  president. 

It  is  regularly  laid  out,  with  the  streets  running  due  north 
and  south,  or  east  and  west.  It  also  has  twenty-one  ave- 
nues named  after  different  states. 

The  capitol  is  situated  near  the  center  of  the  city  and 
faces  east.  The  corner  stone  was  laid  by  Gen.  Washington, 
September  18,  1783. 

The  building  was  burned  by  the  British  in  1814.  The 
entire  length  is  751  feet,  and  the  extreme  breadth  is  384  feet. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  public  buildings  in  the  world. 

Pennsylvania  Avenue  is  the  great  business  street  of  the 


EASTERN  STATES. 


91 


city,  and  reaches  from  Rock  Creek  on  the  west,  to  the  East 
Branch. 

Massachusetts  Avenue  is  north  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
and  is  the  handsomest  in  the  city.  Both  of  these  avenues 
extend  in  a north-westerly  and  south-easterly  direction.  A 
noticeable  fact  about  all  the  streets  and  avenues  is  their  un- 
usual width. 

Among  the  principal  buildings  of  the  city,  many  of 
which  are  massive  and  beautiful  structures,  may  be  men- 
tioned the  Smithsonian  Institution,  the  National  Museum, 
the  White  House,  State,  War  and  Navy  Departments, 
Naval  Hospital,  Pension  Office,  Patent  Office,  Postoffice 
Department,  Soldiers’  Home,  etc,,  etc. 

A great  many  beautiful  monuments  of  famous  statesmen 
and  soldiers  adorn  the  numerous  public  squares  and  circles. 

The  Washington  monument,  completed  in  1884,  555 

feet  in  height  and  is  called  “ the  world’s  greatest  cenotaph.’ • 
The  foundation  is  eighty  feet  square  and  was  begun  thirty- 
six  feet  below  the  surface,  resting  upon  the  solid  rock. 

The  material  used  in  the  lower  part  is  blue  granite  faced 
with  crystal  marble;  in  the  upper  part,  white  marble  alone 
is  used.  A stairway  leads  to  the  top,  as  does  also  an  elevator 
in  the  center. 

From  its  top  we  could  see,  to  the  southward  across  the 
river  and  about  fifteen  miles  distant,  Mt.  Vernon,  the  for- 
mer home  and  present  tomb  of  Washington. 

The  Corcoran  Art  Gallery,  open  to  the  public  free  on 


92 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Tuesdays,  Thursdays  and  Saturdays,  was  given  to  the  city 
by  Wm.  W.  Corcoran,  and  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  United 
States. 

It  would  take  too  much  space  in  our  little  volume  to  give 
even  a short  description  of  each  of  the  prominent  public 
buildings. 

The  city  has  a population  of  over  240, 000. 


“ Old  Dominion. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


93 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


VIRGINIA. 


r Location. 
Atlantic  Ocean. 


03 

<D 


Chesapeake  Ba.y. 
Drummond  Lake. 


Dismal  Swamp. 


Rivers. 


' Potomac. 
James. 
Shenandoah. 

" York. 

Rappahannock. 
^ Tennessee. 


Capes. 


| Charles. 
( Henry. 


Mount- 

ains. 


Blue  Ridge. 
Allegheny. 
Cumberland. 
Peaks  of  Otter. 


Cities. 


f Richmond, 
j Petersburg. 

] Norfolk. 
Lynchburg. 


rod 
03  oo 

> L 


Prod’ts. 


V 


f Animal. 

I Vegetable 
j Mineral. 

[ Manufactured, 


94 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS, 

135.  “ Mother  of  Presidents.’ ’ 

136.  “ The  Wilderness.” 

137.  Chickahominy  Swamp. 

138.  “ The  tomb  of  the  Unknown.” 

139.  Mt.  Vernon. 

140.  United  States  Navy  Yard. 

141.  “ The  Garden  of  Virginia.” 

142.  The  Peninsula. 

143.  “The  Antiparos  of  Virginia.” 

144.  Piedmont  District. 

145.  “ The  Hamburg  Massacre.” 

146.  “ Old  Point  Comfort.  ’ ’ 

147.  Noted  Battlefields. 

148.  ‘ ‘ Father  of  University  of  Virginia.” 

149.  “ River  of  Swans.” 

150.  The  Natural  Bridge. 

15 1.  Hampton  Roads. 

152.  “ Rome  of  the  South.” 

153.  “The  Father  of  Virginia.” 

154.  “ Lady  Rebecca.” 

155.  The  Salt  Pond. 

156.  “ Tide  W ater  Section.  ’ ’ 

157.  “ Readjusters.” 

158.  “ The  Lord  of  the  Roanoke.” 

159.  “Uncle  Robert  ” 

160.  The  Dismal  Swamp. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


95 


161.  “Virginia  Leaf.” 

162.  “ Sage  of  Monticello.” 

QUERIES. 

146.  Who  wrote  “Dred,”  or  “Tale  of  the  Dismal  Swamp”? 

147.  What  Governor  once  said,  “I  thank  God  there  are 
no  free  schools  nor  printing,  and  I hope  we  shall  have  none 
these  hundred  years.’ * 

148.  What  religion  was  once  established  by  law? 

149.  How  many  states  have  been  formed  from  what  wa* 
once  Virginia  ? 

150.  Name  ten  noted  Virginians. 

15 1.  Who  wrote  a novel  called  “The  Virginians”? 

152.  Where  are  two  presidents  buried  within  ten  yards  of 
each  other  ? 

153.  What  great  man  made  his  home  at  Arlington 
Heights  ? 

154.  How  do  steamboats  show  respect  to  Washington 
when  passing  his  grave  ? 

155.  Was  Washington’s  old  home  or  grave  desecrated  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War? 

156.  Of  what  state  was  Illinois  once  a county  ? 

157.  What  Virginian  was  the  first  governor  of  Illinois? 

158.  Who  wrote  “Sheridan’s  Ride”?  Locate  the  scene. 

159.  Name  five  authors  of  Virginia,  and  what  each  wrote. 

160.  Where  was  Libbv  Prison  located  ? For  what  noted  ? 
Where  now  ? 

161.  Where  is  Fort  Monroe  ? What  noted  prisoners  have 
been  confined  there  ? 


96 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


162.  Who  were  the  seven  presidents,  natives  of  Virginia  ? 

163.  Who  was  the  lad  noted  for  his  exploit  at  the  Natural 
Bridge  ? 

164.  What  is  the  motto  of  Virginia  ? What  does  it  mean? 
What  were  the  Virginia  Resolutions  of  ’98  ? Who  drafted 
them?  (Jefferson.) 

165.  At  what  place  are  men  trained  for  the  Signal  Service 
and  Weather  Bureau  ? 

166.  Which  one  of  Virginia’s  noted  men  held  the  office  ot 
Chief  Justice  and  Secretary  of  State  at  the  same  time  ? 

167.  What  Indians  lived  in  Virginia?  What  became  of 
them  ? 

168.  What  eccentric  Virginian  desired  not  to  be  buried 
within  one  mile  of  any  church  ? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

The  forests  of  Virginia  are  extensive  and  very  valuable. 

Almost  all  known  varieties  of  trees  of  this  latitude  may 
be  found  here. 

Virginia  has  ninety-nine  counties  and  the  names  are  con- 
stant reminders  of  Old  England. 

Virginia  contains  many  springs  noted  for  their  medicinal 
effect.  The  most  noted  are  Buffalo  Eithia,  Sweet  Chaly- 
beate, Bath  Alum,  White  and  Yellow  Sulphur,  etc. 

The  Natural  Bridge  is  215  feet  high.  How  much  higher 
than  Niagara  Falls? 

Marble  is  quarried  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac. 

Virginia  ranks  first  in  raising  peanuts,  and  second  in 
tobacco. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


97 


The  Oyster  beds  in  the  tide  region  are  ‘ ‘mines”  of  great 
wealth,  and  the  fisheries  are  important. 

Jump  Mountain  is  so  named  in  remembrance  of  an  Indian 
maiden  who  jumped  from  a cliff  when  she  saw  her  lover 
killed  in  a battle  between  the  Cherokees  and  Shawnees. 

Gold,  iron,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  coal,  salt,  granite,  marble, 
freestone,  gypsum,  glass-sand,  and  clays  are  some  of  the 
minerals  of  Virginia. 

Lexington  is  the  seat  of  Washington  and  Lee  University, 
also  Virginia  Military  Institute.  Here  General  Robert  E. 
Lee  breathed  his  last,  and  Stonewall  Jackson  rests  in  the  old 
church  yard. 

Blowing  Cave  is  another  curious  freak  of  nature.  In  the 
winter  a current  of  cold  air  rushes  into  the  cave  and  during 
hot  weather  the  cold  current  is  emitted.  Why  is  this  ? 

There  are  numerous  sandstone  quarries  throughout  the 
state. 

The  State  Institutions  are  the  penitentiary,  three  Insane 
Asylums,  the  one  at  Williamsburg,  established  in  1773,  is 
the  oldest  in  the  United  States,  Deaf,  Dumb,  and  Blind 
Institutes,  Virginia  Military  Institute,  Agricultural  and 
Mechanical  College  and  Normal  Schools  for  blacks  and 
whites.  Norfolk  is  the  principal  naval  station  of  the  United 
States,  and  near  Norfolk  is  a Navy  Yard  also.  Hampton 
Roads  is  considered  the  best  harbor  along  the  Atlantic  coast. 

Virginia  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  states  of  the  Union. 
From  the  Peaks  of  Otter  the  ocean  can  be  seen.  The  Nat- 


98 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ural  Towers,  Bolivar  Heights,  Anvil  Cliffs,  and  Purgatory 
Falls  on  Roanoke  River,  are  other  mountain  scenes. 

Richmond  is  noted  for  many  scenes  of  the  past.  Aaron 
Burr  was  tried  here  ; LaP'ayette  was  received  by  his  officers 
here;  “Stonewall’ ’ Jackson  lay  in  state  here  with  a Confed- 
erate flag  for  his  pall ; here,  in  the 4 4 Old  Church  ” (St.  John), 
Patrick  Henry  uttered  his  stirring  words ; here  Lincoln  held 
a reception  in  Jefferson  Davis’s  Parlors.  Some  of  the  noted 
buildings  are  the  City  Hall,  Custom  House,  Governor’s 
Mansion,  State  Armory,  Penitentiary,  Medical  College,  and 
various  factories,  mills,  and  machine  shops.  The  city  con 
tains  statues  of  Washington  ; Henry,  delivering  an  address; 
Jefferson,  pen  in  hand ; Marshall,  stern  and  firm  ; General 
Andrew  Lewis,  the  pioneer. 

Virginia  contains  seventeen  National  Cemeteries  cared  for 
by  salaried  superintendents  who  are  under  Government  In- 
spectors. Any  neglect  is  promptly  reported.  A headstone 
marks  every  grave  ; the  walks  are  graveled ; shade  trees  and 
flowers  beautify  the  last  resting  place  of  the  Nation’s  dead. 

Weyer’s  Cave  is  next  to  the  Mammoth  Caves  of  Ken- 
tucky ; it  has  been  called  “The  Antiparos  of  Virginia  ;”  it 
was  named  after  Bernard  Weyer.  The  different  parts  of  the 
cave  bear  names  descriptive  of  each,  viz.:  Ghost  Chamber, 
Cathedral,  Anthony’s  Pillar,  Jacob’s  Ladder,  The  Bottom- 
less Pit,  Oyster  Shell,  The  Tower  of  Babel,  and  many 
others. 

Near  Richmond,  in  the  James  River,  are  the  so  called 
Falls,  really  only  rapids,  inclosing  a number  of  small  islands. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


99 


The  largest  of  these  islands  and  the  most  widely  known  is 
Belle  Isle,  which  was  one  of  the  prisons  for  Federals  during 
the  Civil  War.  It  is  visited  by  many  people  every  year. 

Harper’s  Ferry,  of  * ‘John  Brown  fame,”  is  located  where 
the  Potomac  breaks  through  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  the  mouth 
of  the  Shenandoah  River.  Jefferson  said  the  scene  was 
worth  a trip  across  the  ocean  to  witness.  It  was  named 
after  Harper,  of  Oxford,  England,  in  1723. 

At  Plampton  is  a Government  School  for  Indians.  An 
effort  is  made  to  teach  Indian  girls  to  sew,  and  the  boys  to 
farm  or  learn  a trade.  The  scheme  is  only  a partial  success. 
The  writer  is  personally  acquainted  with  several  Sioux 
Indians  who  have  received  instructions  in  these  eastern 
schools. 

The  College  of  William  and  Mary  is  near  Williamsburg, 
the  old  capitol  of  Virginia.  Next  to  Harvard,  this  is  the 
oldest  college  in  the  United  States,  and  in  1776  it  was  the 
wealthiest  in  America.  It  was  used  by  the  French  and 
Americans  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  as  a hospital  and 
barracks  in  the  Civil  war.  Some  of  the  noted  graduates  are 
Thomas  Jefferson,  James  Monroe,  John  Tyler,  John  Mar- 
shall, Peyton  and  John  Randolph,  and  Winfield  Scott. 

“The  Eadies’  Mount  Vernon  Association”  now  own 
Washington’s  Old  Home  and  200  acres  of  land.  It  was 
purchased  for  $200,000,  in  1858,  and  their  design  is  to  keep 
it  as  a place  of  public  resort  and  pilgrimage.  The  library 
and  bed  room  remain  the  same  as  when  they  were  last  used 
by  Washington.  The  barn  is  140  years  old.  The  well  with 


100 


NORTH  AMERICA, 


rope  and  pulley,  the  covered  walks,  the  slave  kitchens,  the 
slave  quarters,  and  the  crane  in  the  chimney  are  still  to  be 
seen  by  visitors.  In  1876  Dom  Pedro,  of  Brazil,  officiated  in 
beautifying  the  new  grave  by  planting  trees  around  it. 
The  old  church  where  Washington  worshiped  in  Alexandria 
still  stands.  A family  resides  in  the  back  part,  who  keeps 
it  in  repair  and  open  for  visitors  at  the  moderate  charge  of 
five  cents. 


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WEST  VIRGINIA. 


" Size. 


Rivers. 


Ohio. 
Kanawha. 

Big  Sandy. 

^ Monongahela. 

Allegheny  Mountains. 


Cities. 


Products. 


f Wheeling, 
j Charleston. 

| Parkersburg. 
[Harper’s  Ferry. 

| Vegetables. 

{ Minerals. 

SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 


163.  Baden-Baden  of  America. 

164.  John  Brown. 

165.  Saratoga  of  the  South. 

166.  Gas  wells. 

167.  Pineries. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


101 


queries. 

169.  Why  was  West  Virginia  so  named  ? 

170.  What  is  Rock  Salt  ? 

17 1.  Of  what  use  is  Rock  Salt? 

172.  Name  five  uses  of  salt. 

173.  How  deep  is  the  well  at  Wheeling? 

174.  What  is  the  State  Motto  ? 

175.  What  battles  of  the  Civil  War  were  fought  in  this 
State? 

176.  Where  was  John  Brown  hung  ? 

177.  In  what  does  West  Virginia  excel  other  States? 

CAPON  SPRINGS  AND  BATHS. 

These  springs  are  located  in  Hampshire  Co, , and  have  a 
temperature  of  65°  Fahr. 

These  waters  are  charged  with  carbonic  acid  gas,  and  are 
used  both  externally  and  internally.  There  are  ample  hotel 
accommodations,  with  plunge,  shower,  douche,  and  warm 
bath  establishments. 

Capon  Springs  is  pleasantly  situated  in  the  mountains, 
surrounded  by  picturesque  scenery. 

These  baths  will  compare  very  favorably  with  those  of 
Europe. 

PICTURED  ROCKS. 

These  famous  rocks  are  in  Grant  County,  West  Virginia, 
along  the  road  known  as  the  Evansville  pike.  They  have 
been  a source  of  wonder  ever  since  they  were  first  discov- 


102 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ered  by  white  men,  over  a century  and  a half  ago.  They 
are  on  the  face  of  a large  cliff,  situated  near  the  road.  The 
rock  is  a white  sandstone,  which  wears  very  slightly  from 
exposure  to  the  weather,  and  upon  its  smooth  surface  are 
delineated  outlines  of  at  least  fifty  species  of  animals,  birds, 
reptiles,  and  fish,  embracing  in  the  number  panthers,  deer, 
buffaloes,  otters,  beavers,  wildcats,  foxes,  wolves,  raccoons, 
opossums,  bears,  elk,  crows,  eagles,  turkeys,  eels,  various 
sorts  of  fish,  large  and  small  snakes,  etc.  In  the  midst  of 
this  silent  menagerie  of  specimens  of  the  animal  kingdom, 
is  a full  length  of  a female  form,  beautiful  and  perfect  in 
every  respect.  Interspersed  among  the  drawings  of  ani- 
mals, etc.,  are  imitations  of  the  footprints  of  each  sort,  the 
whole  space  occupied  being  150  feet  long  by  fifty  wide.  It 
is  believed  that  these  figures  were  engraved  many  ages  ago, 
but  it  can  not  be  even  conjectured  to  what  race  the  artist 
belonged,  and  how  he  made  these  remarkable  drawings  is 
quite  as  much  of  a mystery. — I?iter-Ocean . 

SALT. 

West  Virginia  has  important  saline  industries. 

The  Great  Kanawha  Valley  is  particularly  noted. 

The  wells  vary  in  depth  from  30  to  1 500  feet. 

Salt  is  obtained  mostly  by  evaporation  ; first  by  the  heat 
of  the  sun  ; second  by  artificial  heat  ; third  by  condensation 
by  cold  then  boiling ; and  fourth  by  mining. 

An  entertaining  diversion  to  the  regular  lesson  would  be 
to  read  a full  account  of  some  noted  salt  works.  Nearly 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


103 


every  year  some  of  the  illustrated  papers  contain  articles  on 
this  and  other  fruitful  subjects  for  school  work. 

WHEELING. 

The  metropolis  of  West  Virginia,  is  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Ohio  river,  in  the  Panhandle.  It  has  an  extensive  river 
trade. 

Its  nearness  to  the  coal  mines  and  iron  deposits,  makes  it 
an  important  iron  manufacturing  city.  There  are  over  half- 
a dozen  large  glass  factories  and  as  many  nail  mills. 

Foundries,  machine  shops,  rolling  mills,  etc.,  are  on  all 
sides.  There  is  an  island  in  the  river,  about  one  mile  in 
length,  connected  by  bridges  to  the  main  city.  One-of  the 
deepest  wells  in  the  United  States  is  located  here. 

Wheeling  makes  more  cigars  than  all  other  cities  of  West 
Virginia.  The  National  Road  crosses  the  Ohio  river  at  this 
place.  It  was  the  scene  of  McCullough’s  leap  from  the 
Indians. 

PARKERSBURG. 

This  town  is  in  the  midst  of  hills,  valleys  and  river  bluffs, 
as  broken  as  can  be  found  anywhere.  There  are  large  oil 
refineries  here  and  other  numerous  industries,  in  iron  and 
timber. 

Flour  mills,  tobacco  factories,  etc.,  make  this  a busy  and 
thriving  town. 


104 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


HARPER’S  FERRY. 

Here  the  Potomac  breaks  through  the  Blue  Ridge  and 
makes  a most  magnificent  scene.  The  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Railroad  crosses  the  Potomac  at  this  place.  _ 

Before  the  Civil  War  it  was  the  seat  of  a U.  S.  armory 
and  arsenal.  John  Brown  gave  the  place  some  notoriety. 
Gen.  Jackson  captured  the  town  and  n,ooo  Union  men  in 
1862.  The  town  has  never  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
the  war. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  stand  Maryland  Heights, 
and  over  the  Shenandoah  are  Loudon  Heights,  while  back 
of  the  town  are  Bolivar  Heights.  The  place  was  named 
from  one  Harper,  of  England,  who  established  a ferry  here 
at  an  early  day. 

PICTURESQUE  PLACES. 

Ice  Mountain,  where  there  is  a famous  natural  ice  house. 
Chimney  Rocks,  which  look  like  the  ruins  of  some  ancient 
castle.  Karr's  Pinnacles,  which  bear  resemblances  to  the 
obelisks  of  the  old  world. 

They  are  in  the  neighborhood  of  200  feet  high,  with  a 
width  from  10  to  5 feet. 

Cathedral  rock,  which  receives  its  name  from  the  fancied 
resemblance  to  a Gothic  church. 


N.  C.  “Turpentine  State." 

1789.  “Tar  Heels.” 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


105 


NORTH  CAROLINA. 


Comparative  size. 
Atlantic  Ocean. 


Sounds. 


f Albemarle. 

{ Pamlico. 

{Roanoke. 
Neuse. 

Cape  Fear. 

Dismal  Swamp. 

Mountains  J Allegheny. 
Mountains,  j Blue  Ridge_ 


Peaks. 


Capes. 


Cities. 


Products. 


f Black  Dome. 
{ Mitchell’s. 

{Hatteras. 
Fear. 
Lookout. 

f Raleigh. 

(Wilmington. 
New  Berne. 
Fayetteville. 

(Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

168.  Pine  Barrels. 

169.  Old  North  State. 

170.  Little  Dismal  Swamp. 

17 1.  Lost  Colony  of  the  Roanoke* 


106 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


172.  Tar  State. 

173.  Tuck-a-hoes. 

174.  City  of  Oaks. 

175.  Mechlenburg  Declaration. 

176.  Lord  of  the  Roanoke. 

177.  Land  of  the  Sky. 

QUERIES. 

178.  What  noted  swamps  in  this  State  ? 

179.  Where  were  the  military  prisons  of  the  Civil  War 
located  ? 

180.  Who  were  the  Regulators? 

18 1.  What  is  the  highest  peak  of  the  Appalachian  sys- 
' tern? 

182.  Where  was  the  branch  of  the  United  States  mint 
located  ? 

183*.  What  Indians  lived  in  North  Carolina? 

184.  Name  uses  of  talc,  or  steatite. 

185.  What  is  coal  tar? 

186.  Of  what  use  is  rosin  ? 

187.  Where  is  the  largest  turpentine  distillery  in  the 
United  States? 

188.  From  what  point  can  seven  States  be  seen? 

WILMINGTON. 

This  is  the  metropolis  and  principal  seaport  of  North  Caro- 
lina. Wilmington  is  noted  for  its  “naval  stores/ 9 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


107 


It  is  the  chief  market  in  the  world  for  tar,  pitch  and  tur- 
pentine, and  it  exports,  also,  rice,  cotton  and  peanuts. 

The  Carolina  Oil  and  Creosote  Co.  have  a plant  where 
lumber  is  treated  by  a patent  process. 

This  method  consists  in  extracting  the  sap  and  wood 
acids,  and  by  a pressure  of  125  pounds  to  the  square  inch, 
forcing  hot  creosoting  oil  into  the  open  pores  of  the  wood. 

This  preserves  the  timber  from  water,  insects,  and  dry  rot. 

A United  States  marine  hospital  is  located  at  Wilming- 
ton. 

There  are  dry  docks  large  enough  to  accommodate  vessels 
of  1,000  tons.  Rice  mills,  turpentine  distilleries  are  located 
here. 

DURHAM. 

Durham  owes  its  fame  to  a single  industry. 

The  largest  granulated  smoking-tobacco  factory  in  the 
world  is  here. 

Cigarettes  are  a specialty.  $38,000,000  have  been  paid 
the  government  for  revenue  stamps  during  the  last  seven 
years.  Cotton  mills  make  the  tobacco  sacks,  and  factories 
the  tobacco  boxes.  This  town  has  the  largest  pay  roll  of 
any  in  the  State. 

TAR. 

The  old  box  trees  from  which  turpentine  was  obtained, 
the  dead  trees,  and  stumps,  are  used  in  making  tar.  The 
pores  become  filled  with  pitchy  matter,  the  wood  increases 
in  weight,  and  will  take  fire  almost  as  readily  as  gunpowder. 


108 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Ill  making  a tar-kiln,  the  ground  is  first  scooped  out,  form- 
ing an  inverted,  cone-shaped  foundation,  with  an  opening 
and  a tube  from  the  center  to  some  distance  beyond  the  pit. 
The  wood  is  then  piled  on  end  in  the  pit,  pointing  to  the 
centre. 

Logs  and  green  twigs  are  then  piled  around  and  the  kiln 
is  covered  with  dirt  on  top  and  sides.  The  fire  is  then 
lighted  at  the  top  and  the  tar  trickles  down  to  the  center 
hole  and  out  through  the  spout. 

A kiln  yields  from  50  to  100  barrels  of  tar,  according  to 
size. 

Pitch  is  tar  boiled  down  until  the  volatile  matter  is  driven 

off. 


TURPENTINE  MANUFACTURE. 

Crude  turpentine  is  the  natural  juice  of  the  coniferous 
trees.  American  turpentine  is  obtained  from  two  varieties 
of  pine  trees,  which  are  most  abundant  in  the  Carolinas 
and  Georgia.  The  distillers  lease  and  sometimes  buy  vast 
tracts  of  pine  lands,  at  about  one  dollar  per  acre.  A half- 
moon shaped  box  is  cut  into  each  tree,  then  each  box  is 
cornered  by  taking  out  a triangular  piece.  Next,  the  trees 
are  hacked , by  making  groove-shaped  cuts  downward  to  the 
box. 

The  sap,  a sticky,  honey-like  gum,  is  gathered  from  the 
boxes  and  taken  to  the  still. 

The  hacking  is  performed,  perhaps,  six  times  during  the 
season,  which  lasts  from  early  spring  until  late  fall.  The 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


109 


dipping  is  done  with  a spoon-shaped  instrument  and  a 
peculiar  twist  of  the  wrist,  only  acquired  by  practice.  Two 
dippers  follow  one  hacker.  The  dippers  gather  the  gum  in 
buckets  which  are  emptied  into  barrels,  located  conveniently. 

'The  first  year’s  production  is  called  virgin  dip , the  second, 
yellow  dip , and  following  years,  the  scrape . Distilling  is 
carried  on  in  copper  stills,  varying  in  size  from  ten  to  sixty 
barrels.  Spirits  of  turpentine  is  separated  by  distillation 
and  the  residuum,  or  resin,  is  let  out  of  the  vats,  through 
strainers,  into  barrels. 

A turpentine  distillery,  employing  100  men,  will  produce 
daily  75  barrels  of  1'esin  or  rosin,  and  between  400  and  500 
gallons  of  turpentine. 

SOUTH  ATLANTIC  SLOPE. 

The  coast  of  the  South  Atlantic  States  is  fiat,  low  and 
sandy.  The  shore  is  protected  by  long,  narrow  sand  bars. 

The  productions  of  this  region  are  rice  and  cotton,  espec- 
ially the  sea  island  cotton,  the  most  famous  known. 

The  second  terrace  is  a sandy  belt,  mostly  covered  with 
pine  trees,  from  which  are  produced  the  tar,  pitch,  turpen- 
tine and  rosin  of  commerce. 

The  next  terrace  is  the  Piedmont,  or  the  uplands,  from 
which  the  grains,  sweet  potatoes  and  tobacco,  are  raised. 

Then  in  the  mountains  we  find  the  mineral  resources. 

WATER  POWER. 

The  Roanoke  River  falls  84  feet  in  nine  miles  above  Wel- 
don, North  Carolina.  50,000  horse-power  might  be  devel- 


110 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


oped  here  for  manufacturing  interests.  Small  boats  can 
reach  the  sea  from  Weldon. 

A noticeable  fact  of  all  the  rivers,  from  the  Potomac 
down,  is  that  water  power  can  be  obtained  easily. 

Nearly  every  stream  has  a town  at  or  near  the  mouth,  and 
another  at  the  head  of  the  navigable  water. 

Advantageous  locations  for  manufacturing  industries  are 
found  at  numerous  points  on  the  South  Atlantic  Slope. 

CORUNDUM. 

A few  years  ago  a mine  of  corundum,  of  such  purity  and 
quantity,  was  found  as  to  be  of  great  importance.  This 
mineral  is  of  such  hardness  as  to  cut  readily  all  metals, 
granite,  marble,  etc. 

Corundum  is  very  sparsely  found,  heretofore  mostly  in 
India  and  China. 

The  value  of  the  discovery  will  be  from  the  use  of  corun- 
dum as  an  abrasive,  without  which  the  economical  use  ot 
chilled  iron  and  steel  would  be  almost  impossible. 

Emery  has  been  used  extensively  for  this  purpose. 

In  the  form  of  a wheel,  corundum  will  cut  chilled  iron, 
hardened  steel,  Scotch  granite,  etc.  In  the  scale  of  hard- 
ness, the  diamond  stands  at  io;  corundum,  9;  emery,  8. 
The  mineral  is  deposited  over  600  acres,  in  Macon  County, 
North  Carolina. 

MOUNT  MITCHELL. 

The  highest  peak  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  is  Mount 
Mitchell,  in  North  Carolina. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


117 


It  was  named  in  honor  of  Dr.  Elisha  Mitchell,  who  lost 
his  life,  by  falling  down  a precipice,  on  this  mountain.  His 
remains  are  buried  on  the  summit,  and  hundreds  of  tourists 
visit  this  mountain  every  year. 

CAPE  HATTERAS. 

This  cape  is  the  most  eastern  extremity  of  North  Carolina, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  dangerous  localities  along  the  Atlan- 
tic coast.  Near  here  are  the  Diamond  Shoals,  the  dread  of 
the  sailors.  The  Gulf  Stream  flows  within  20  miles  of  the 
cape,  and  the  mingling  of  its  warm  air  currents  with  colder 
land  currents,  causes  frequent  and  violent  storms. 

The  coast,  below  Cape  Hatteras,  is  strewn  with  the 
wrecks  and  fragments  of  vessels. 

MINERALS. 

The  following  are  found  in  North  Carolina  : Gold,  silver, 
iron,  coal,  copper,  zinc,  lead,  mica,  graphite,  buhr-stone, 
whet-stone,  soap-stone,  lime  stone,  granite,  etc. 

SOAP-STONE  SLATE-PENCILS. 

The  chief  ingredient  is  soap-stone,  more  scientifically 
known  as  talc  or  steatite.  It  is  a greasy,  whitish  stone, 
looking  and  feeling  a great  deal  like  country  soap,  from 
which  it  takes  its  name.  The  stone  first  comes  in  large 
chunks,  and  is  subjected  to  a crushing  process  in  a 
common  quartz  crushing  machine.  It  is  then  ground  to  a 
fine  powder  in  a regular  buhr-mill,  just  as  flour  is  made 


112 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


of  wheat,  and  the  powder  is  next  bolted  exactly  as  wheat  is 
bolted.  Thus  no  foreign  or  hard  substance  remains  to  get 
into  the  pencil  and  scratch  the  slate.  This  fine  powder, 
which  looks  much  like  flour,  is  then  mixed  with  several 
chemicals  and  a neutralizing  substance,  and  the  whole  put 
into  a tank  and  boiled,  being  stirred  constantly  by  a revolv- 
ing wheel.  It  is  then  run  into  another  tank  and  cooled, 
turning  into  a thick  pasty  substance.  This  is  caked,  and  by 
means  of  machinery  made  expressly  for  the  purpose,  is 
molded  into  long  slim  rods  by  being  forced  through  a round 
aperture  the  size  of  a slate-pencil.  These  rods  roll  down  an 
inclined  plane  on  an  easy  grade,  so  as  not  to  break,  after  which 
they  are  picked  up  and  cut  into  proper  lengths.  They  are 
then  laid  between  corrugated  sheets  of  zinc,  in  layers  eight 
or  ten  deep,  the  whole  called  a kit,  and  put  into  a steam- 
heating dry-house  at  a temperature  of  200  degrees  Fahren- 
heit, where  they  are  thoroughly  dried.  The  next  process  is 
to  place  them  in  a furnace  and  bake  them,  after  which,  if 
they  be  intended  for  plain  pencils,  they  are  boxed  ready  for 
shipment.  Some,  however,  are  sent  up-stairs,  where  there 
are  men  and  machinery  to  point  one  end  of  each  ; while 
others  still  are  sent  to  another  department  to  be  covered 
with  a red  and  white  or  white  and  gold-ringed  paper. 
These  pencils  most  readily  take  the  youngster’s  eye,  and 
make  his  mathematical  duties  less  irksome  than  they  would 
be  if  aided  by  one  of  the  rough,  uncovered,  and  unpointed 
kind.  And  this  is  the  by  no  means  easy  process  by  which 
slate-pencils  are  made.  Our  reporter  was  shown  10,000,000 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


113 


pencils  already  boxed,  waiting  for  shipment.  The  factory 
has  a capacity  to  manufacture  150,000  a day,  but  has  been 
making  but  about  75,000  per /day. — Cincinnati  Enquirer . 

There  are  extensive  soapstone  mines  in  Vermont,  New 
Hampshire,  Massachusetts,  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  North 
Carolina.  The  above  description  Delongs  to  the  North 
Carolina  factory. 


SOUTH  CAROLINA. 


Location. 


0 

a 

13 

PH 


Atlantic  Ocean. 


Rivers. 


r Savannah. 
Santee. 

< Wateree. 

Congaree. 
^ Pedee. 


Mountains.  Blue  Ridge. 


d 

CO 


00 

CO 


Cities. 


Products. 


| Charleston. 
{ Columbia. 

I Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

178.  American  Venice. 

179.  Smoking  Hills. 

180.  Earthquake. 

181.  Sea  Island  Cotton. 

182.  Caesar’s  Head, 


114 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


183.  Battle  Fields. 

184.  Revolutionary  Heroes. 

185.  “Sand-hillers.  ’ ’ 

186.  Rice-birds. 

QUERIES. 

189.  How  much  cotton  can  a person  pick  in  a day  ? 

190.  What  inventions  did  Eli  Whitney  make  ? 

1 91.  How  much  does  a bale  of  cotton  weigh  ? 

192.  Of  what  use  is  cotton  seed? 

193.  What  is  the  highest  point  in  the  State? 

194.  What  are  phosphates ? Their  use? 

195.  Where  is  the  noted  resort  for  consumptives? 

196.  What  historical  incident  connected  with  Cowpens? 

197.  Who  was  John  Locke?  What  was  his  “Grand 
Model  ?” 

198.  What  stands  to-day  on  the  ruins  of  Fort  Sumpter? 

199.  What  is  paddy? 

200.  Where  was  the  first  paper  money  in  America  issued? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

CHARLESTON. 

Charleston,  the  largest  city  of  South  Carolina,  and  a very 
interesting  place,  on  account  of  its  historical  associations,  is 
situated  on  a peninsula,  between  the  mouths  of  the  Ashley 
and  Cooper  Rivers.  It  has  a large,  deep  and  safe  harbor, 
about  seven  miles  in  length.  The  entrance  to  the  harbor 
is  protected  by  Fort  Moultrie,  Castle  Pickney,  and  other 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


115 


lesser  fortifications.  A lighthouse  stands  on  the  island  cov- 
ered with  the  ruins  of  the  once  famous  Fort  Sumpter. 

This  city,  settled  in  1679,  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  South- 
ern States.  Goose  Church,  or  Church  of  St.  James,  in  the 
midst  of  a pine  forest,  near  Charleston,  was  erected  in  17 11, 
and  is  still  in  a well  preserved  condition. 

St.  Michael’s  Church,  in  the  city,  built  in  1752,  is  visited 
by  many  tourists,  to  enjoy,  from  the  belfry,  the  magnificent 
view  of  the  city  and  harbor. 

Charleston  is  devoted  mainly  to  commerce,  but  of  late 
years  considerable  increase  in  manufacturing  industries  has 
grown. 

The  principal  exports  are  : Cotton,  rice,  lumber,  naval 
stores  and  fertilizers. 

It  would  be  well,  in  this  connection,  to  recall  the  interest- 
ing history  of  Charleston.  Tell  of  the  attack  on  Fort  Moul- 
trie in  1776  ; the  surrender  of  the  city  in  1779 ; the  execu- 
tion of  the  noble  patriot,  Isaac  Hayne,  in  1781  ; the  firing 
on  Fort  Sumpter  in  1861  ; the  great  earthquake  in  1886,  and 
of  other  interesting  events  in  history  with  which  you  may  be 
familiar. 

In  all  your  work,  keep  interweaving  history  with  your 
geography,  for  you  know  that  we  can  remember  two  facts 
about  a place  more  easily  than  one. 

COTTON  GIN. 

Eli  Whitney,  a Yankee  school  teacher,  who  was  living  at 
Mrs.  Green’s  house  in  Georgia,  invented  this  machine. 


116 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


A pound  of  cotton,  cleaned  by  hand,  required  a day’s 
work.  A cotton  pod  is  less  in  size  than  a common  hen’s 
egg,  and  bursts  when  ripe.  The  pod  contains  a number  of 
seeds  which  adhere  closely  to  the  cotton.  The  cotton  gin 
separates  the  cotton  from  the  seed,  and  will  separate  more  in 
one  day  than  a person  can  in  two  months  by  hand.  Take  a 
small  box  and  stretch  parallel  wires  over  the  top,  then  place 
a few  wheels  of  a clock,  or  wheels  with  saw-like  edges,  be- 
neath, and  then  cause  them  to  revolve,  and  you  have  a 
miniature  cotton  gin.  These  wheels  catch  the  cotton  while 
playing  beneath  the  wires,  but  leave  the  seed  above  the 
wire. 

This  simple  invention  made  Eli  Whitney’s  name  famous, 
made  cotton  raising  profitable,  made  slavery  dear  to  the 
hearts  of  the  cotton-producing  States,  made  the  South  rich,, 
and  crowned  cotton  King  of  the  southern  products. 

Tell  of  the  inventor’s  troubles,  the  disadvantages  under 
which  he  worked,  how  his  machine  was  stolen  before  he  ob- 
tained a patent,  of  his  law  suits,  the  burning  of  his  factory, 
and  discouragements  from  Congress  and  several  state  legis- 
latures, in  fact  his  failure  to  reap  the  financial  reward  of  his 
invention. 

HOW  CAROLINA  BECAME  A RICE  STATE. 

* ‘The  destiny  of  South  Carolina  was  changed  by  a single 
lucky  experiment.  In  1696,  when  the  colony  was  little 
more  than  thirty  years  old,  the  pioneers  were  still  engaged 
in  buying  furs  from  the  Indians,  extracting  rosin,  tar,  and 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


117 


turpentine  from  the  pines,  cutting  timber  for  shipment,  and 
growing  slender  harvests  of  grain  on  the  light  soil  along  the 
coast.  Attempts  had  already  been  made  to  grow  indigo, 
ginger  and  cotton,  but  these  had  not  answered  the  expecta- 
tion. A small  and  unprofitable  kind  of  rice  had  also  been 
tried  in  1688.  But  one  Thomas  Smith  thought  that  a patch 
of  wet  land  at  the  back  of  his  garden  in  Charleston  resembled 
the  soil  he  had  seen  bearing  rice  in  Madagascar.  It  chanced 
in  1696,  that  a brigantine  from  that  island  anchored  in  dis- 
tress near  Sullivan’s  Island,  and  the  captain,  an  old  friend 
of  this  enterprising  Thomas  Smith,  was  able  to  furnish  him 
a bag  of  Madagascar  rice  suitable  for  seed.  It  grew  luxuri- 
antly in  the  wet  corner  of  the  garden,  and  the  seed  from 
this  little  harvest  was  widely  distributed.  In  three  or  four 
years  the  art  of  husking  the  rice  was  learned.  African  slaves 
were  easily  procured  in  the  West  Indies,  and  the  face  of 
society  in  the  young  State  was  presently  changed.  South 
Carolina  became  a land  of  great  planters,  and  of  a multitude 
of  great  toiling  negroes.  Smith  was  raised  to  the  rank  of 
landgrave,  and  made  governor  of  the  colony  three  years 
after  the  success  of  his  rice  patch.  The  new  grain  was  at  first 
grown  on  up-land ; but  the  planters  afterward  discovered 
that  the  neglected  swamps  were  more  congenial  and  less 
exhaustible.  The  cruelly  hard  labor  of  separating  the  grains 
from  the  adhering  husks  crippled  the  strength  and  even 
checked  the  increase  of  the  negroes  ; but  in  the  years  just 
preceding  the  Revolution  this  task  came  to  be  performed 
with  mills  driven  by  the  force  of  the  incoming  and  outgoing 


118 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


tides,  or  turned  by  horses  or  oxen.  A hundred  and  forty 
thousand  barrels  of  Carolina  rice,  of  four  or  five  hundred 
weight  apiece,  were  annually  exported  before  the  war  of 
Independence.  Through  the  example  of  a governor  of 
Georgia,  the  culture  of  rice  spread  into  that  colony,  and 
completed  the  ruin  of  the  silk  business.' ’ — Eggleston . 

RICE. 

Rice  is  one  of  the  cereals  of  the  grass  family,  and  much 
resembles  wheat.  It  has  been  cultivated  from  the  earliest 
times  and  forms  one  of  the  staple  articles  of  commerce.  It 
furnishes  food  for  more  people  than  any  other  one  grain. 
It  is  cultivated  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  but  in  the 
United  States,  South  Carolina,  Georgia  and  Louisiana  are 
especially  noted  for  its  production.  It  is  a grain  that  needs 
much  water,  hence  rice  is  principally  raised  along  banks  of 
a river,  or  low  lands  adjoining  the  sea,  where  the  fields  can 
be  flooded  successfully  with  water. 

Rice  is  sown  in  early  spring,  about  three  bushels  to  the 
acre,  in  trenches  about  one  foot  apart,  then  water  is  let  on 
the  fields  for  perhaps  one  week,  or  until  the  grain  sprouts. 
In  a week  or  so,  it  is  hoed,  afterwards  more  water,  another 
good  hoeing,  then  water  remains  on  the  ground  until  the 
grain  is  ripe. 

Men  and  boys  wade  over  the  rice  fields  and  pull  out  weeds 
and  grass  before  the  time  to  harvest.  It  is  cut  with  a sickle, 
bound,  stacked,  threshed,  much  like  oats  or  wheat.  It  is 
not  ready  for  use  yet,  not  till  it  is  hulled,  sometimes  by  hand 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


119 


in  mortars,  but  mostly  by  machinery  run  by  steam-power. 
A machine  sorts  the  rice  by  means  of  screens. 

The  best  is  called  "prime  rice,"  which  is  then  “pol- 
ished” or  "brushed,”  when  it  is  ready  for  market. 

The  smaller  and  broken  grains  are  called  “ middlings,  ” 
which  are  kept  for  home  use. 

There  is  one  variety  of  rice  which  is  grown  on  dry  land. 

VENUS’S  FLY-TRAP. 

There  is  a wonderful  little  plant,  commonly  called  Venus’s 
Fly  trap.  It  is  an  inhabitant  of  damp  places  in  the  eastern 
parts  of  North  and  South  Carolina.  The  leaves  are  ar- 
ranged in  pairs,  hinged  together  below,  and  raise  upward, 
with  their  faces  toward  one  another.  Around  the  margin 
of  the  lobes  are  a large  number  of  bristles.  The  surface  of 
the  leaves  is  very  sensitive,  and  whatever  insect  alights  on  it 
is  caught  as  effectually  as  a mouse  in  a trap,  and  is  even 
squeezed  to  death  by  the  pressure.  The  surface  of  the 
leaves  is  covered  with  a sweet  substance  secreted  by 
the  plant  itself,  and  this  constitutes  the  bait  with  which 
the  insect  is  tempted  on  to  its  destruction.  In  order 
to  make  death  doubly  sure  to  the  victim,  the  plant  is 
provided  with  three  or  four  sharp  spines,  in  the  interior  of 
the  trap,  with  which  it  pierces  the  insect.  That  the  plant's 
sensitiveness  is  only  located  on  the  inner  surface  of  the 
leaves,  may  be  seen  from  the  fact  that  it  will  not  close  its 
trap  by  touching  it  anywhere  else.  When  the  insect  has 
been  caught,  the  trap  remains  closed  until  the  substance  of 


120 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


the  victim  has  all  been  absorbed  by  the  plant,  when  it 
opens,  ready  for  another  victim. 

A botanist,  who  was  experimenting  with  the  “ fly-trap,' ’ 
found  that  pieces  of  beef  were  soon  dissolved  and  absoibed, 
but  cheese  disagreed  with  it,  and  finally  killed  it. 

RED  BONES. 

A singular  race  of  people  live  in  South  Carolina. 

They  are  known  as  the  South  Carolina  Red  bones. 

Their  origin  is  unknown  ; their  complexion  is  red,  hence 
the  name. 

They  resemble  gypsies,  and  live  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tains, in  a small  settlement,  holding  no  intercourse  with  the 
neighboring  people. 


Ga.  “ Empire  State  of  the  South. 

1788.  Buzzards.” 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


m 


GEORGIA. 


^ Location  and  size. 
Atlantic  Ocean. 


Rivers. 


' Savannah. 
Altamaha. 
Oconee. 

< Ocmulgee. 

St.  Mary’s. 
Flint. 

k Chattahoochee. 


Mountains. 


Cities. 


Blue  Ridge. 

" Savannah. 
Augusta. 

, Atlanta. 
j Macon. 

| Columbus, 
t Milledgeville. 


Products. 


"Animal. 

J Vegetable. 

I Mineral. 
w Manufactured. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

187.  Georgia  Crackers. 

188.  Andersonville. 

189.  Sand  Hills. 

190.  The  Forest  City  of  the  South. 

19 1.  Noted  Battle-fields. 

192.  Okefinokee  Swamp. 

193.  The  Chicago  of  the  South. 

194.  International  Cotton  Exposition. 


122 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


QUERIES. 

201.  Which  city  exports  the  most  turpentine  in  United 
States  ? 

202.  What  has  been  built  on  the  summit  of  Stone  Moun- 
tain? 

203.  Where  was  Jefferson  Davis  captured  ? 

204.  Who  composed  “ Marching  Through  Georgia.’ ’ 

205.  Who  received  the  grant  of  Georgia  from  the  English 
King? 

206.  Why  was  Georgia  so  named  ? 

207.  Where  is  there  a country  called  Georgia? 

208.  Which  is  the  largest  State  east  of  the  Mississippi 
River. 

209.  Do  any  of  the  Southern  States  pension  the  Confed- 
erate soldiers  ? 

210.  Who  once  gave  the  City  of  Savannah  as  a Christmas 
present  ? 

21 1.  What  became  of  the  Cotton  Exposition  Buildings? 

212.  Which  State  leads,  in  the  South,  in  manufacturing? 

213.  In  what  does  Georgia  excel  all  other  States? 

214.  For  what  vegetable  is  Georgia  famous? 

SAVANNAH. 

In  1773  General  James  Oglethorpe  selected  the  site  for 
Savannah,  which  is  eighteen  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  The  city  is  regularly  laid  out,  and  plazas , or  parks, 
alternate  with  the  business  blocks. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


123 


These  plazas  were  left  vacant  for  those  who  lived  in  dis- 
tant settlements,  in  case  the  Indians  might  compel  them  to 
seek  a place  of  safety.  There  are  twenty-four  of  them. 
They  are  sometimes  called  “the  lungs  of  the  city.”  They 
add  to  the  beauty  and  healthfulness  of  the  city. 

Many  monuments,  statuary  and  fountains  are  found  in 
these  parks.  There  are  grass-grown  yards,  with  beautiful 
shell  walks,  flowers  which  bloom  nearly  the  year  round, 
Japonicas  which  bloom  in  mid-winter,  the  stately  palmettoes, 
the  sweet  magnolias,  oleanders,  orange,  and  banana  trees. 

Two  strong  forts,  Jackson  and  Pulaski,  guard  the  entrance 
to  the  river  and  city. 

Savannah  is  next  to  the  largest  cotton  market  in  the 
United  States,  and  second  to  Wilmington  in  naval  stores. 

The  chief  buildings  in  this  city  are  the  Custom  House, 
Court  House,  the  State  Arsenal,  City  Exchange,  hospitals, 
asylums,  etc.  In  Monument  Square  are  obelisks,  erected  to 
the  memory  of  Count  Pulaski,  who  fought  for  American 
independence,  and  General  Greene,  of  Revolutionary  fame. 

Savannah  is  within  the  influence  of  the  Gulf  Stream, 
hence  enjoys  the  mildness  of  the  tropics  in  winter,  and  is  a 
famous  resort  of  northern  invalids.  Look  up  in  the  histo- 
ries, the  scenes  enacted  here  during  the  Revolution  and 
Civil  war. 

ATLANTA. 

Atlanta  was  destroyed  by  General  Sherman  in  1864. 

A fine  city,  the  capital  of  Georgia,  has  risen  from  the  old 
ruins.  Unlike  other  cities  of  the  South,  Atlanta  owes  her 


124 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


rapid  growth  to  a favorable  location  and  the  spirit  of  enter- 
prise among  her  citizens.  Trunk  lines  of  railroad  run  to  all 
sections  of  the  State.  The  surrounding  country  produces 
much  grain  and  cotton,  besides  valuable  minerals.  The 
city  is  built  on  an  elevated  plain  and  a singular  feature  is 
the  city's  supply  of  water.  An  abundant  supply  of  drink- 
ing water  is  obtained  from  an  artesian  well  which  is  1,600 
feet  in  depth.  The  lumber  interests,  the  vast  cotton  mills, 
the  immense  rolling  mills,  and  other  industries,  give  em- 
ployment to  many  people.  Population,  in  1890,  66,000. 

AUGUSTA. 

Augusta  is  situated  on  the  Savannah  River,  at  the  head 
waters  of  navigation,  132  miles  from  Savannah  city. 

By  means  of  a canal,  a 40-foot  fall  is  obtained,  thus  furn- 
ishing power  for  factories. 

There  are  extensive  flour  mills,  cotton  mills,  cotton  seed 
oil  mills,  iron  foundries,  Georgia  Railroad  Machine  shops, 
etc. , located  here. 

A granite  monument,  45  feet  high,  erected  to  the  memory 
of  Georgia’s  three  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, stands  in  front  of  the  City  Hall.  The  Georgia  Medi- 
cal College  is  located  here. 

Augusta  is  the  third  city  of  importance  in  the  State. 

JEKYL  ISLAND. 

This  island  is  situated  in  the  Atlantic  ocean,  eight  miles 
from  Brunswick,  Georgia,  and  it  is  owned  by  a private  cor- 
poration of  wealthy  men. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


125 


The  island  was  bought  in  1886,  for  $125,000;  then  the 
company  built  an  elegant  hotel. 

The  number  of  members  was  limited  to  100,  with  an 
annual  due  of  $100.  The  island  is  ten  miles  in  length  by 
two  and  one-half  wide. 

It  has  many  attractions,  viz : The  fishing  is  good  ; wild 
game  is  plentiful,  even  deer  are  found  here ; a valuable 
oyster  bed  is  on  an  inland  shore ; the  yachting  opportuni- 
ties are  fine  ; pure  water  is  obtained  from  an  artesian  well ; 
it  is  north  of  the  fever  line,  and  receives  both  the  land  and 
the  sea  breezes  ; in  fact  the  comforts  and  pleasures  of  this 
place  has  notan  equal,  north  or  south. 

THE  BRILLIANT  FUTURE  OF  THE  SOUTH. 

In  a late  address,  before  the  Boston  Mechanics’  Society, 
Mr.  Wendell  Phillips,  the  noted  orator,  is  reported  to  have 
said  : “The  handwriting  is  so  plain  on  the  wall  that  none 
but  a fool  need  mistake  it.  New  England  is  doomed  just 
as  sure  as  natural  laws  will  produce  fixed  results.  New 
England  has  no  soil  wrorth  mentioning,  and  her  wealth  has 
all  been  derived  from  her  manufactures.  These  are  gradu- 
ally leaving  her,  and  eventually  they  will  all  go  ; some  to 
the  West,  but  most  to  the  South,  where  the  advantages  for 
profitable  manufacturing  are  located.  The  coal  and  iron  in 
the  South  are  easily  obtained,  and  inexhaustible  in  amount, 
and  the  iron  mills,  foundries  and  machine  shops,  can  go  to 
them  better  than  they  can  be  carried  to  the  shops.  Then  the 


126 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


cotton  and  woolen  mills  must  go  there,  for  the  raw  materials 
are  to  be  produced  there  most  cheaply,  uniformly  and 
better.  Then  look  at  the  advantages  of  the  extra  hours 
of  daylight  in  a year’s  run.  This,  of  itself,  is  no  small  mat- 
ter. As  the  South  grows  stronger  and  stronger,  the  wealth, 
culture  and  power  of  the  country  will  be  centered  there, 
until  she  will  become,  not  alone  the  mistress  of  America, 
but  the  central  empire  of  the  world.” 

INDIAN  RELICS  IN  GEORGIA. 

An  Indian  cemetery  has  been  found  in  the  center  of  the 
Nacoochee  valley.  There  have  been  taken  out  human  bones, 
mixed  with  arrow  heads,  beads,  battleaxes,  pipes,  and  other 
indestructible  articles  of  sport,  domestic  use,  and  war.  But 
the  most  interesting  relics  taken  from  these  graves  were 
conch  shells,  evidently  brought  from  the  seashore,  and  a 
tomahawk  beaten  from  pure  copper  in  its  natural  state, 
though  the  nearest  point  on  the  continent  where  such  cop- 
per is  found  is  Take  Superior.  It  is  held  that  the  tribe  must 
have  traded  with  tribes  both  to  the  north  and  to  the  south. 
There  is  also  a mound  which  is  unopened,  and  which  is 
known  to  have  been  built  by  a people  ante-dating  the 
Indians. 

THE  FIRST  AMERICAN  SILK  DRESS. 

The  first  silk  dress  made  in  America  was  one  presented 
by  Governor  Oglethorpe,  the  founder  of  Georgia,  to  the 
queen  of  George  III.  Oglethorpe  expected  his  colony  to 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


127 


become  rich  on  silk  raising  and  vine-culture,  and  the  first 
silk  raised  in  Georgia  was  spun  and  woven  for  the  royal 
spouse. 

ROME. 

This  thriving  town  is  the  railroad  center  of  the  industrial 
south.  It  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  coal  fields,  the  iron  mines 
and  marble  quarries.  The  United  States  Government  has 
undertaken  to  remove  the  shoals  in  the  river,  when  there 
will  be  a direct  water  route  to  the  Gulf.  Its  water  power 
and  water  works  are  among  the  finest  in  the  south.  Its 
mills,  foundries  and  factories  are  numerous,  and  the  cotton 
trade  is  not  light. 

JUGGING  FISH. 

The  Georgian  boys  have  a queer  way  of  fishing. 

They  take  a number  of  jugs  and  attach  fishing  lines  to 
the  handles  of  the  jugs,  then  set  them  afloat.  When  a jug 
begins  to  bob,  they  know  there’s  a fish  on  the  hook. 

The  sport  is  to  catch  the  jug  and  is  called  “jugging  fish.” 

SPRINGS. 

The  Warm  Springs.  Powder  Springs. 

The  Chalybeate  Springs.  Thundering  Springs. 

The  Indian  Springs.  Red  Sulphur  Springs. 

Madison  Springs.  Catoosa  Springs. 

These  springs  are  pleasantly  and  picturesquely  situated  in 
salubrious  districts,  and  most  of  them  have  good  accommo- 
dations for  visitors. 


128 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


NICKOJACK  CAVE. 

This  cave  is  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  Georgia. 

It  extends  into  the  Raccoon  mountains,  just  how  far,  no 
one  knows.  It  has  been  explored  about  three  miles  where 
further  progress  is  stopped  by  a cataract. 

The  bottom  of  the  cave  is  covered  with  water,  hence  is 
accessible  only  in  canoes.  The  roof  is  6f  solid  rock.  The 
opening  into  the  monntains  is  1 60  feet  wide  and  60  feet  high. 

COTTON-SEED  OIL. 

This  industry  has  grown  rapidly  within  the  last  few  years. 
Formerly  the  seed  was  thought  to  be  of  no  value,  except 
the  quantity  retained  for  next  years  seeding.  The  first  use 
made  of  it  was  to  return  it  as  a fertilizer. 

In  1826,  an  attempt  was  made  to  extract  oil  from  the  seed. 
The  experiment  was  partially  successful,  for  oil  was  obtained 
which  gave  a fair  light.  In  1834,  Natchez,  Mississippi, 
tried  to  crush  the  seed  for  commercial  purposes,  but  the 
enterprise  failed.  In  1847,  New  Orleans,  St.  Louis,  and 
Providence,  R.  I.,  made  unsuccessful  experiments.  In  1878 
Atlanta,  Georgia,  accomplished  favorable  results  by  obtain- 
ing a fertilizer  which  doubled  the  increase  of  the  soil. 

Experiments  have  proved  that  its  uses  are  many,  and  its 
commercial  value  is  very  important.  Large  quantities  of 
oil  were  exported  to  Italy  where  it  was  used  to  adulterate 
olive. oil.  Marseilles,  France,  used  it  extensively  in  soap 
manufacture,  instead  of  ground-nut  oil.  The  oil  and  cake 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


129 


is  shipped  to  the  Netherlands  where  it  feeds  the  cattle  and 
enters  into  the  manufacture  of  butterine. 

The  ash  of  the  hull  is  of  value  for  the  potash  it  contains. 

Cotton-seed  oil  is  used  for  lighting  purposes,  for  dressing 
leather  and  wool,  for  lubricating  purposes,  and  as  a substi- 
tute for  linseed  oil. 

It  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  oleomargarine  and  gly- 
cerine. At  present  there  are  perhaps  a hundred  oil  mills  in 
operation  throughout  the  south,  most  of  them  under  the  con. 
trol  of  the  American  Cotton  Oil  Company. 


\ 


Fla.  ‘ ‘ Peninsular  State.  ’ ’ 

1845.  “Fly  up  the  Creeks/ 


130 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


FLORIDA. 


Location. 


Atlantic  Ocean. 


Bays. 


{Mexico. 
Pensacola. 
Appalachee. 
Tampa. 


Lake  Okeechobee. 


Rivers. 


St.  Mary’s. 

St.  John’s. 

Suwanee. 

Appalachicola. 


Everglades. 

\ Florida  Strait. 
Florida  Keys. 


Capes. 


Cities. 


Products. 


f Sable. 

( Canaveral. 

f Jacksonville. 

! St.  Augustine. 
<1  Tallahassee. 

Pensacola. 
w Key  West. 

! Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Marine. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 


1 95.  Wreckers. 

196.  Fountain  of  Youth. 

197.  Pineapples. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


1S1 


198.  Dry  Tortugas. 

199.  Osceola. 

200.  Devil’s  Mill  Hopper. 

201.  Crocodile  Pond. 

202.  Orange  Culture. 

203.  Wakulla  Volcano. 

204.  Prince  Murat. 

205.  Life  Saving  Service. 

QUERIES. 

215.  What  is  the  most  southern  town  in  United  States? 

216.  What  are  keys? 

217.  What  Indians  lived  here  ? 

218.  Is  a sponge  an  animal  or  a vegetable  growth  ? 

219.  Why  was  Florida  so  named  ? 

220.  What  Florida  lake  disappeared  at  the  time  of  the 
Charleston  earthquake  in  1886? 

221.  Who  wrote  “Away  Down  on  de  Suwanee  Ribber? 

222.  What  is  the  seaport  for  Tallahassee? 

223.  What  are  limes  ? 

224.  In  what  State  is  Jefferson  Davis’  birthday  a legal 
holiday  ? 

225.  Which  is  the  least  populous  of  the  Southern  States? 
Most  populous  ? 

ITEMS  OP  INTEREST. 

A COUNTY  COMPOSED  OF  KEYS. 

Monroe  county,  Florida,  is  the  most  southern  county  in 
the  United  States,  and  includes  a long  line  of  keys  or 


132 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


islands,  along  which  steamers  sail  for  a whole  day  on  their 
way  to  New  York.  These  keys  are  almost  wholly  of  coraline 
formation,  and  sweep  in  a great  curve  around  the  end  of  the 
peninsula.  There  are  very  few  towns  in  the  county,  the 
only  one  of  much  importance  being  Key  West.  The  straits 
between  the  islands  are  narrow  and  tortuous,  and  large  ves- 
sels have  trouble  in  making  the  passage. 

WOOD  THAT  SINKS  IN  WATER. 

There  are  four  hundred  and  thirteen  species  of  trees  to  be 
found  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States,  sixteen  of 
which,  when  perfectly  seasoned,  will  sink  in  water.  The 
heaviest  of  these  is  the  black  ironwood,  found  only  in  south- 
ern Florida,  which  is  more  than  thirty  per  cent,  heavier  than 
water.  Of  the  other  fifteen,  the  best  known  is  the  lignum 
vitae,  and  the  mangrove.  All  the  species  heavier  than  water 
belong  to  tropical  Florida,  or  in  the  arid  West  or  Southwest. 

The  cocoanut  trees  of  Florida  are  due  to  nuts  washed 
ashore,  from  a wrecked  vessel,  sixteen  years  ago.  Now  the 
State  furnishes  nearly  all  the  cocoanuts  used  in  the  United 
States. 

TAMPA. 

Tampa,  the  most  important  commercial  city  on  the  west 
coast  of  the  peninsula,  is  built  near  the  site  of  old  Fort 
Brooke,  at  the  head  of  Tampa  Bay.  The  fort  is  now  in 
ruins,  and  is  used  as  a park  by  the  city. 

Several  of  the  remains  of  the  labors  of  the  “Mound  Build- 
ers ” are  found  here. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


133 


Tampa  is  quite  a popular  resort,  and  boasts  of  a million- 
dollar  hotel. 

flT The  city  has  considerable  commercial  intercourse  with  the 
West  Indies,  and  has  many  cigar  factories. 

Indian  Hill,  southeast  of  Tampa,  is  noted  for  the  great 
heaps  of  shells,  some  of  which  are  over  600  feet  long  and 
25  feet  high. 

JACKSONVILLE. 

Jacksonville,  a commercial  city  and  a famous  winter  resort, 
is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  St.  John’s  River,  about 
15  miles  from  the  ocean.  It  is  an  ocean  port,  and  exports 
large  quantities  of  lumber,  oranges,  cotton  and  sugar. 

Over  60,000  tourists  and  invalids  visit  Jacksonville  dur- 
ing the  winter  season.  The  St.  John’s  River  is  navigable 
for  200  miles  above  Jacksonville,  and  steamers  ply  daily  be- 
tween Jacksonville  and  Palatka. 

ST.  AUGUSTINE. 

St.  Augustine,  the  earliest  European  settlement  in 
America,  is  on  the  east  coast  of  Florida,  about  two  miles 
from  the  ocean.  • The  island  of  Anastasia  lies  at  the 
entrance  to  the  harbor,  and  furnishes  a sort  of  shell  concrete 
that  is  easily  quarried  and  dressed,  and  which  hardens  upon 
exposure  to  the  air. 

This  substance,  which  is  called  coquina , is  used  in  build- 
ing the  first  story  of  the  two-storied  houses,  and  was  form- 
erly used  in  paving  the  streets.  In  those  early  days, 


134 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


vehicles  were  not  permitted  upon  the  streets,  and  they  were 
so  carefully  swept  that  they  would  not  soil  the  daintiest 
satin  slippers  worn  by  the  Spanish  ladies. 

The  town,  you  remember,  was  first  built  in  1565,  by 
Menendez.  Since  that  time  it  has  been  destroyed,  or  nearly 
so,  many  times 

This  quaint,  old  town  has  more  of  the  appearance  of  a 
Spanish  or  Italian  city,  than  of  one  belonging  to  the  United 
States.  On  account  of  its  congenial  climate,  healthful  loca- 
tion, and  interesting  old  buildings  and  ruins,  it  has  become 
quite  a popular  resort  for  tourists  and  invalids,  especially 
during  the  winter  months. 

The  fort  of  St.  Mark’s,  begun  in  1656,  and  finished  in 
1756  ; the  venerable  Roman  Catholic  cathedral,  and  the  old 
convent  of  St.  Mary’s,  are  among  the  interesting  buildings. 

The  streets  are  all  quite  narrow,  the  widest  being  but 
twenty-five  feet  in  width.  One  of  the  streets,  over  a mile 
long,  is  only  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  another  is  only  twelve 
feet  in  width.  Along  these  narrow  streets  many  of  the 
buildings  have  portions  of  their  second  stories  jutting  out 
over  the  street,  so  that  persons  in  the  second  stories  are, 
in  many  places,  able  to  shake  hands  across  the  street  with 
their  neighbors.  The  advantage  of  these  narrow,  flue-like 
streets,  in  a semi-trooical  climate,  is  very  marked. 

KEY  WEST. 

Key  West  (Bone  Island),  so  called  on  account  of  the 
abundance  of  human  bones  found  there  when  first  discov- 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


135 


ered  by  the  Spaniards.  The  tradition  was  that  some  of  the 
native  tribes  were  driven  from  one  key  to  another,  and 
finally  almost  annihilated  in  a great  battle  on  Key  West. 

Key  West  was  an  important  military  and  naval  station 
during  the  Mexican  and  Civil  War. 

The  hitherto  small  population  was  greatly  increased  by 
emigrants  from  Cuba,  in  1869. 

Key  West  is  the  metropolis  of  Florida,  and  manufactures 
great  quantities  of  cigars.  Besides  cigars,  sponges  form  the 
principal  article  of  export. 

The  Florida  keys  consist  of  rock,  covered  with  a .soil 
formed  by  decayed  vegetable  and  marine  growths. 

Key  West  has  an  excellent  harbor,  and  is  strongly  forti- 
fied, as  it  guards  the  best  entrance  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

EVERGLADES. 

The  Everglades  should  not  be  thought  of  as  a marsh  or 
swamp,  but  as  a shallow  lake  with  a rock  bottom  and  over- 
grown with  grass,  which  reaches  several  feet  above  the  water. 
There  are  many  islands  in  this  vast  region,  some  of  which 
are  inhabited  by  survivors  of  the  tribe  of  Seminole  Indians. 
The  water  is  drinkable,  and  many  fish  abound  in  the  chan- 
nels, which  the  natives  have  made  for  their  canoes. 

A short  distance  to  the  northward  is  Take  Okeechobee 
(big  water),  whose  exact  diminsions  are  not  known.  The 
lake  is  shallow,  the  water  good,  and  there  are  plenty  of  fish 
and  water  fowl. 


136 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


SINKS. 

From  the  region  of  the  Suwanee  River,  westward,  many 
“sinks”  are  found.  They  are  peculiar  natural  wells,  vary- 
ing in  diameter  and  depth,  and  are  always  connected  with  a 
subterranean  stream.  The  waters  of  the  underground  rivers 
wear  away  the  overhanging  limestone  rocks,  until  the  weight 
of  the  rock  causes  it  to  cave  in,  when  the  debris  is  either 
carried  off  by  the  stream,  or  it  may  be  sufficient  to  dam  the 
subterranean  river,  and  cause  its  waters  to  come  to  the  sur- 
face, and  thus  form  a river  or  lake  where  none  existed  before. 
This  whole  region  seems  to  be  honey-combed  by  under- 
ground streams  and  lakes. 

Alachua  (The  big  jug  without  a bottom),  was  the  name 
the  Indians  gave  to  one  of  the  largest  of  these  “sinks.” 
It  is  located  near  Gainsville. 

SPRINGS. 

Florida  is  noted  for  its  large  number  of  springs. 

Many  of  them  are  large,  and  noted  for  their  remarkably 

clear  waters. 

Silver  Springs,  southwest  of  Palatka,  discharges  daily 
over  three  hundred  million  gallons  of  water,  pure  as  crys- 
tal— a volume  of  water  sufficient  to  float  a large  steamer. 

Tradition  says  that  DeSoto  visited  this  spring  in  1539. 

Blue  Spring,  nearly  due  west  of  Silver  Spring,  is  350  feet 
wide,  and  over  2 5 feet  deep.  The  color  of  the  water  varies 
from  blue  to  green. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


137 


Wakulla  (Mystery)  Spring,  near  Tallahassee,  is  another 
of  the  most  noted  springs.  It  is  over  ioo  feet  deep,  with 
absolutely  transparent  water.  Fish,  turtles  and  alligators 
can  be  seen  swimming,  in  perfect  security,  far  below  the 

surface. 


REVIEW  TOPICS. 

1.  Name  States  touching  Atlantic  Ocean. 

2.  Name  the  capital  of  each  State. 

3.  Name  the  metropolis  of  each  State. 

4.  Fist  all  the  rivers  in  regular  order. 

5.  Name  the  boundary  rivers. 

6.  Name  10  places  noted  for  their  interesting  historical 
associations. 

7.  Name  and  locate  12  lakes. 

8.  Name  and  locate  10  cities  noted  for  manufacturing. 

9.  Name  and  locate  10  cities,  noted  for  their  educational 
advantages. 

10.  Name  10  mountains  and  peaks. 

11.  List  10  bays. 

12.  Give  the  soubriquets  of  10  cities. 

13.  Name  8 summer  resorts. 

14.  Name  5 winter  resorts. 

15.  Name  and  locate  5 wonders  of  nature. 

16.  Sketch  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  Rivers. 

17.  Name  10  of  the  leading  productions  of  the  Southern 
States. 


138 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


1 8.  List  the  manufactured  products  ot  the  North  Atlan- 
tic States. 

19.  Give  a full  list  of  minerals. 

20.  Name  10  noted  men,  and  the  towns  made  famous  by 
them. 

21.  List  and  locate  10  noted  buildings. 

22.  Bound,  by  block  method,  Massachusetts  and  Tennes- 
see. 

23.  Tell  about  the  springs,  lakes  and  “ sinks,”  of  Florida. 

24.  Name  and  locate  10  cities  named  in  honor  of  promi- 
nent persons. 

25.  Which  State  leads  in  commerce?  In  manufacturing? 
In  mining? 

A SUGGESTION. 

One  of  the  best  things  a teacher  can  do,  to  instruct  the 
children,  is  to  direct  them  to  look  for  the  causes  of  things; 
to  enforce  a habit  of  gathering  facts,  by  observation  and  by 
reading;  to  help  them  to  arrange,  systematically,  the  knowl- 
edge so  found. 

The  teacher  will  be  remembered  for  the  impulse  given  to- 
ward broader  views,  and  a firmer  grasp  of  learning.  Geo- 
graphy affords  a free  scope  for  philosophy.  What  makes 
cities  ? 

Countries  and  cities  become  great  in  proportion  as  they 
control  the  interchange  of  the  commerce  of  the  world. 

We  find  noted  cities  wherever  the  products  of  the  fixed 
East  have  been  exchanged  with  the  ever  moving  West . 

The  old  caravans  formed  cities  on  their  routes. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


139 


New  routes  left  the  old  commercial  cities  to  wither  and 
die.  Water  navigation  formed  new  locations  as  trade  cen- 
ters. There  are  reasons  for  the  location  of  each  city  that 
ever  has  been,  or  is  now,  of  note  in  geography  or  history. 

The  why  is  worthy  of  careful  consideration. 


MISSISSIPPI. 


r bocation. 

Gulf  of  Mexico. 

<v 

4-»  ~ 

cj  - . 

Mississippi  Sound. 

55  jy 

f Tennessee. 

3 8 

O Oh 

Tombigbee. 

>>  V 

g3  o3 

Rivers.  1 

Pearl. 

1 

Mississippi. 

1 

Yazoo. 

in 

£ h-t 

Cities.  \ 

( 

' Vicksburg. 

Jackson. 

[ Natchez. 

S 2 

( 

Animal. 

Products.  H 

Vegetable. 

l 

Manufactured. 

SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

206.  hand  of  beeves. 

207.  Terrapin  farms. 

208.  The  Yazoo  Fraud. 

209.  Cane  Hills. 


140 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


210.  Mississippi  Bottoms. 

21 1.  Great  Father  of  Waters. 

212.  Silt. 

213.  River  of  Ancient  Ruins. 

QUERIES. 

226.  What  is  a terrapin  ? 

227.  What  was  the  Mississippi  Bubble? 

228.  Which  race  predominates  in  Mississippi  ? 

229.  What  battle  fields  in  this  State  ? 

230.  Did  buffaloes  ever  roam  over  the  Southern  States  ? 

231.  Which  is  the  longest  river  in  the  world  ? 

232.  Is  it  true  that  the  Mississippi  River  runs  up  hill  ? 

233.  What  does  the  word  Mississippi,  mean  ? 

234.  Where  was  Jeff  Davis’  home? 

235.  Who  is  called  “The  Daughter  of  the  Confederacy  ”? 

236.  To  which  State  did  Mississippi  once  belong  ? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

VICKSBURG. 

Vicksburg,  the  metropolis  of  Mississippi,  is  situated  on  a 
bluff  of  the  Great  River,  a little  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Yazoo  River,  and  400  miles  above'New  Orleans.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  a rich  country  for  cotton  and  other  agricultural 
products.  The  city  has  many  fine  buildings,  and  a variety 
of  manufacturing  interests.  It  is  noted  as  a cotton  market, 
but  more  especially  for  the  siege  which  occurred  here  during 
the  Rebellion.  Read  carefully  the  account  of  the  surrender 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


141 


of  Vicksburg,  in  your  histories*  Find  out  how  the  city  waj 
approached  and  how  they  lived  in  the  city. 

Tell  of  the  running  of  the  batteries,  etc. 

PALMYRA  BEND. 

Below  Vicksburg  there  was  a noted  bend  in  the  river. 

It  was  thirty  miles  around,  and  across  the  neck  not  much 
over  one-fourth  of  a mile.  The  average  fall  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river  is  four  inches  per  mile,  hence,  when  the  current 
began  to  run  across  the  neck,  it  soon  wore  a channel  which 
became  one  mile  wide  and  one  hundred  feet  deep. 

Relate  General  Grant’s  experience  in  changing  the  course 
of  “ Father  of  Waters.” 

NATCHEZ. 

Natchez,  the  second  city  in  population,  is  about  275  miles 
above  New  Orleans.  It  is  built  on  a bluff  150  feet  above 
the  river,  and  affords  a splendid  view  of  the  immense 
cypress  swamps  of  Louisiana. 

A portion  of  the  city  is  situated  on  a narrow  strip  along 
the  river,  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  hence  goes  by  the  name  of 
“ Natchez-under-the-Hill.”  The  upper  part  is  known  as 
” Natchez-on-the-Hill.”  On  the  bluff  is  a National  ceme- 
tery, and  a beautiful  park.  The  name  Rosalie  was  first  given 
to  this  place,  but  the  Natchez  Indians  destroyed  the  fort  and 
massacred  the  people. 

It  was  once  the  capital  of  the  State.  The  main  business 
here  is  the  cotton  trade . 


142 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


OYSTER  BEDS. 

Near  Pass  Christian,  in  the  Mississippi  Sound,  is  one  of 
the  largest  oyster  beds  in  this  part  of  the  Gulf.  It  is  over 
one  mile  wide  and  about  io  miles  in  length.  This  oyster 
bank  supplies  the  canning  factories  of  the  Mississippi  coast, 
and  furnishes  a large  quantity  of  oysters  used  in  the  Cres- 
ent  City. 

Fifty  vessels  are  busy  gathering  oysters,  in  the  fishing 
season.  The  canned  products  are  shipped  north  to  the  in- 
terior cities,  and  sold  at  good  prices. 

FISHING. 

Mississippi  City  has  been  famous  for  the  fine  mackerel 
fishing.  The  Spanish  mackerel  is  a much  finer  fish  than 
his  cousin  of  the  northern  seas.  It  is  one  of  the  most  deli- 
cately flavored  of  the  fish  species. 

The  silver  fish  makes  the  most  interesting  sport  of  any 
found  in  the  Gulf.  Few  ever  forget  their  experience  with  a 
fish  of  this  kind,  and  fewer  yet  ever  safely  land  the  first 
tarpon  hooked  by  them. 

Bass,  sea  trout,  pompano,  red  fish,  and  sheep-head  are  all 
plentiful. 

MOUND  BUILDERS. 

Many  mounds  are  found  in  this  State,  in  different  places. 
The  largest  and  most  interesting  mound  is  at  Seltzer  Town. 
It  is  600  feet  by  400  feet  at  the  base,  and  40  feet  high.  The 
corners  were  in  harmony  with  the  cardinal  points  of  the 
compass. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


143 


Dr.  Dickerson,  the  explorer,  found  skeletons,  ashes,  vases, 
and  sun-dried  brick,  two  feet  thick,  having  on  each  the  print 
of  a human  head. 

A group  of  mounds,  in  Chicasaw  county,  were  surrounded 
by  a wrall  enclosing  six  acres. 

WALNUT  HILLS. 

These  hills  are  a few  miles  above  Vicksburg,  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  river. 

They  rise  boldly,  with  swells  and  gullies,  to  nearly  the 
height  of  500  feet. 

It  forms  one  of  the  most  beautiful  landscapes  on  the  Lower 
Mississippi. 

LEVEES. 

Between  the  Yazoo  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  there  is  a net- 
work of  bayous  and  small  streams. 

All  this  country  of  60  miles  width  in  places,  was  sub- 
merged for  weeks,  and  even  months,  in  times  of  floods,  be- 
fore a system  of  works  began  to  ‘‘fence”  in  the  water. 

The  side  channels  were  cut  ofl*  and  embankments  were 
built  many  miles  along  the  river.  These  levees  have  cost  over 
100  millions  of  dollars,  which  was  obtained  from  the  United 
States  Government,  State  and  private  parties. 

Previous  to  the  Rebellion,  Louisiana  had  spent  $24,000,- 
000;  Mississippi  $14,500,000,  and  other  States  smaller 
amounts. 

The  levees  are  divided  into  districts,  and  over  a million  of 
dollars  are  annually  expended  in  keeping  them  in  repair. 


144 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Below  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  the  Mississippi  flows 
over  a more  nearly  level  bed,  the  current  becomes  sluggish 
and  much  of  the  sediment,  held  heretofore  in  solution,  is 
deposited  along  its  course. 

This  sediment  fills  up  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  makes  it 
necessary  for  the  levees  to  be  built  higher  and  higher,  year 
after  year.  This  makes  the  breaks  more  dangerous,  and  on 
the  lower  Mississippi  the  steamboats  are  actually  above  the 
low  lands  adjoining  the  river. 


Ala.  “ The  Cotton  State. 

1819.  “Lizards.” 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


7 4? 


ALABAMA. 


" Location. 


Comparative  size. 


Gulfs. 

Rivers. 

< 


j Mexico. 

( Mobile. 

Tennessee. 

Chattahoochee. 

Mobile. 

, Alabama. 

' Coosa. 
Tallapoosa. 
Tombigbee. 

^ Black  Warrior. 


Mountains. 


Cumberland. 
Blue  Ridge. 


Cities. 


" Mobile. 

Montgomery. 
1 Selma. 
Birmingham. 
, Huntsville. 


f Animal. 

Products.  "S  Vegetable. 

(Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

214.  Cane  brakes. 

215.  Spanish  Moss. 

216.  Muscle  Shoals. 

217.  DeSoto. 

218.  Horse  Shoe  Bend. 


i46 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


219.  Fort  Mimms. 

220.  The  Paint  Rocks. 

221.  The  Suck. 

222.  Natural  Bridge. 

QUERIES. 

23 7.  What  is  the  origin  of  the  name  Alabama? 

238.  Where  was  the  first  seat  of  the  Confederate  Govern- 
ment ? 

239.  How  much  seacoast  has  this  State? 

240.  What  Indians  once  lived  here? 

241.  Locate  the  battle-fields  in  Alabama  ? 

242.  Which  is  the  most  populous  race,  the  white  or  black? 

243.  What  revenue  does  Alabama  receive  from  her  oyster 
industry  ? 

244.  How  are  good  roads  made  in  southern  Alabama? 

245.  Where  is  the  largest  fruit  nursery  in  United  States? 

246.  What  ex-Vice-President  was  arrested  on  Alabama 
soil  ? 

247.  What  is  an  Alabama  gopher? 

MOBILE. 

Mobile,  the  metropolis,  is  the  only  seaport  of  the  State. 

It  is  situated  on  a sandy  plain,  sufficiently  elevated  to 
afford  the  city  good  drainage. 

It  is  the  outlet  of  2,000  miles  of  navigable  waters,  and  of 
the  greatest  cotton  regions  of  the  United  States.  One  of  the 
leading  industries  is  the  manufacturing  of  lumber,  especially 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


147 


cypress  shingles.  The  naval  store  supplies  are  important. 
The  coal  trade  is  increasing  rapidly. 

The  city  is  abundantly  supplied  with  pure  water,  from 
springs  six  miles  distant. 

The  United  States  Marine  Hospital  is  located  here.  Its 
history  should  be  read,  as  it  figures  prominently  with  the 
Indians,  Spanish,  French,  British  and  Americans.  Near 
here  is  the  noted  African  village,  which  contains  the  sur- 
vivors of  the  last  ship  load  of  slaves  ever  brought  to  our 
country.  The  Emancipation  Proclamation  freed  them  be- 
fore they  were  sold. 

BIRMINGHAM. 

This  town  of  26,000  people  contained  less  than  5,000  in 
1880.  The  iron  industry  is  the  principal  business.  Six 
miles  distant  is  Red  Mountain,  estimated  to  contain  500,- 
000,000  tons  of  iron  ore.  The  Warrior  coal  field,  the  largest 
in  the  State,  is  near  at  hand.  Pig  iron  is  produced  at  a 
cost  of  nine  dollars  per  ton,  and  over  2,000  tons  are  manu- 
factured daily.  The  number  of  employes  engaged  in  works 
of  all  kinds,  is  over  22,000.  The  State  criminals  are  used 
in  the  mines. 

A veritable  ‘‘Birmingham  of  America.’ ’ 

Huntsville,  Decatur,  Gadsden,  Sheffield,  are  all  prosper- 
ous towns  in  northern  Alabama. 

ANNISTON.  (ANNIE’S  TOWN.) 

Anniston  is  another  town  of  recent  growth,  situated  in 
the  heart  of  the  iron  regions.  The  ore  is  mined  from  the 


148 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


mountains  and  the  hills,  which  surround  the  town,  without 
any  underground  work.  Here  was  a furnace  which  sup- 
plied the  Confederates  with  iron  during  the  Rebellion. 

The  town  is  supplied  with  pure  water  from  an  artesian 
well.  Anniston  has  the  largest  cotton  mill  in  the  State,  and 
the  only  steel  bloomery  in  the  South.  Charcoal  furnaces, 
and  Coke  ovens,  are  important  interests.  Here  are  the 
largest  pipe  works  in  the  United  States,  which  produce  200 
tons  of  pipe  daily. 

Houses,  schools,  churches,  stores,  etc.,  were  built  by  the 
men  who  owned  the  mills,  for  their  employes. 

MASSACRE  ISLAND. 

Dauphine  Island  lies  near  the  entrance  to  Mobile  Bay.  It 
was  the  seat  of  a French  settlement,  under  Bienville.  From 
the  great  number  of  human  bones  found  there,  it  was  named 
Massacre  Island.  Here  was  located  for  several  years  the 
capital  of  the  French  colony  of  Louisiana.  Fort  Gaines  is  on  < 
this  island,  which,  with  Fort  Morgan,  on  Mobile  Point, 
guard  the  entrance  to  the  bay.  The  passage  is  three  miles 
across  and  over  20  feet  deep. 


I^a.  “ Pelican  State. 

1812.  “Creoles.” 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


149 


LOUISIANA. 


' Location. 
Comparative  size. 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 


Lakes. 


Pontchartrain. 

Borgne. 


Rivers. 


' Pearl. 
Mississippi. 
Red. 

^ Sabine. 


{New  Orleans. 
Baton  Rouge. 
Shreveport. 

{Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 

Manufactures. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

223.  Acadian  Coast. 

224.  Shaking  Prairies. 

225.  Mardi  Gras. 

226.  Crescent  City. 

227.  New  Orleans  Exposition. 

228.  The  Garden  of  Louisiana. 

229.  Levees. 

230.  Crevasses. 


150 


NORTH  AMERICA, 


231.  Louisiana  Lottery. 

232.  Mafia. 

233.  The  Passes. 

234.  The  Picayune. 

235.  Glucose. 

QUERIES. 

248.  What  are  counties* called  in  Louisiana? 

249.  What  are  the  Coulees f Rigolets ? 

250.  What  is  a bayou?  Lagoon  ? 

251 . Why  was  Pearl  River  so  named  ? 

252.  Why  are  there  few  good  harbors  on  the  gulf  coast? 

253.  In  what  production  does  Louisiana  lead  all  other 
States  ? 

254.  How  many  States  have  been  made  from  the  original 
Louisiana  ? 

255.  What  city  has  cemeteries  above  ground? 

256.  How  many  parishes  of  Louisiana  are  subject  to  in- 
undation by  the  overflow  of  the  Mississippi  River  ? 

257.  What  is  a delta  ? 

258.  What  fish  is  called  “ The  King  of  the  Gulf?” 

259.  What  words  mean  “ One-Eyed  Lake  ” ? 11  Bridge  of 
the  Coach  Train  ’ ’ ? 

260.  What  were  the  boundaries  of  Louisiana,  when  pur- 
chased in  1803? 

261.  How  was  the  State  formed  ? (Geologically). 

262.  How  are  the  people  of  New  Orleans  supplied  with 
water  ? 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


151 


263.  Does  the  sun  ever  shine  directly  over  the  heads  of 
the  people  of  New  Orleans?  Why  or  why  not? 

A SUGGESTION. 

Write  all  you  know  about  sugar.  Molasses. 

Day  this  paper  away,  then  read  up  for  one  week  the  sub- 
ject of  sugar  cane,  its  history,  care  and  manufacture.  Try 
writing  again,  and  compare  with  your  first  effort.  These 
subjects  are  purposely  omitted. 

NEW  ORLEANS. 

New  Orleans,  the  Metropolis  of  Louisiana,  and  the  largest 
cotton  market  in  America,  is  situated  on  the  Mississippi 
River,  over  100  miles  above  its  mouth,  and  1,200  miles  be- 
low St.  Louis. 

The  city  is  built  in  the  shape  of  a letter  S,  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river. 

There  is  a levee  twenty-six  miles  in  length,  by  15  feet 
wide,  by  14  feet  high,  and  surrounding  the  city,  to  protect  it 
from  inundation.  Parts  of  the  city  are  below  the  high  water 
mark  of  the  river. 

There  are  ditches  in  the  streets  from  which  the  water  is 
pumped  by  steam  power.  New  Orleans  has  a number  of 
canals  for  business  use. 

This  city  is  the  largest  sugar  market  in  the  United  States. 

Sugar  is  stored  in  immense  sheds,  where  it  is  heaped  up, 
like  coal  in  a yard.  Spaniards,  French,  Italians,  Mexicans, 
•Indian*,  Craolas,  Chinese,  Germans,  Irish,  Northerners  and 


152 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Westerners,  all  come  together  and  jostle  one  another,  in  the 
busy  pursuits  of  life.  There  are  over  2,000  different  manu- 
facturing establishments  within  the  city.  A few  of  the  chief 
buildings  are  the  Custom  House,  United  States  Branch  Mint, 
Cathedral  of  St.  Louis,  St.  Charles  Hotel,  the  City  Hall, 
and  Charity  Hospital. 

Mardi  Gras,  or  Shrove  Tuesday,  the  greatest  carnival  in 
the  United  States,  is  observed  here.  New  Orleans  has 
suffered  several  times  from  the  ravages  of  yellow  fever. 

New  Orleans  is  the  natural  entrepot  of  one  of  the  richest 
regions  of  the  world,  and  commands  over  15,000  miles  of 
steamboat  navigation. 

Read  up  the  historical  associations  connected  with  this 
place. 

It  is  the  twelfth  city  of  United  States  in  population, 
and  has  nearly  one-quarter  million  of  inhabitants. 

MOSS. 

The  long  moss  of  commerce  is  almost  wholly  a product  of 
Louisiana,  although  it  is  found  in  the  lowlands  of  all  the 
Gulf  States.  It  is  known  by  the  name  of  Spanish  Moss, 
Gray  and  Long  Moss.  Its  native  home  is  in  the  branches 
and  tops  of  living  trees,  which  grow  in  the  swamps.  It  is 
rarely  found  north  of  33°  north  latitude. 

It  revels  in  the  darkest  recesses  of  the  everlasting  swamps, 
and  the  dismal  cypress  groves.  It  drifts  from  the  tops  of  the 
cypress,  and  festoons,  with  its  gray  drapery,  the  other  trees 
of  the  swamps. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


153 


The  moss  needs  the  tree  simply  to  keep  it  in  the  air. 

It  is  said  that  it  feeds  on  the  elements  in  the  air,  and  thus 
purifies  the  atmosphere. 

No  scenery  in  nature  can  convey  a more  solemn  appear- 
ance, to  a traveler,  than  a moss-covered  swamp,  shutting 
out  the  brightest  sun,  so  as  to  make  twilight  at  noon.  The 
great  moss  region  is  all  southwest  Louisiana,  wherever 
swamps  exist. 

The  moss  is  gathered  by  hundreds  of  men,  both  white 
and  black,  who  make  a business  of  this  work. 

It  is  then  dried,  baled  and  shipped  to  the  moss  factories. 

The  factories  undo  the  bales,  sort,  cleanse,  and  grade 
the  moss,  ready  for  the  market. 

The  moss  is  shipped  to  all  parts  of  United  States  and 
Canada. 

Targe  quantities  are  sent  to  Germany  and  France. 

It  is  used  in  making  mattresses,  cushions,  car-seats,  stuff- 
ing chairs,  and  for  all  purposes  to  which  hair  was  applied. 

THE  SALT  MINE. 

On  Petit  Anse  Island  is  one  of  the  famous  rock  salt  mines 
of  the  world.  This  island  lies  about  ioo  miles  west  of 
New  Orleans.  The  salt  is  very  nearly  pure.  The  mine  has 
been  bored  to  a depth  of  65  feet  and  no  signs  of  a bottom, 
and  the  extent  is  over  half  a mile  square  as  proved  by  bor- 
ings, and  it  may  extend  much  farther. 

Earth  covers  the  salt  from  10  to  30  feet  in  depth. 


154 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Miners  drill  holes  into  the  solid  salt,  then  blast  as  they 
do  rocks.  The  salt  is  then  crushed  in  mills  and  placed  on 
the  market. 

During  the  Civil  War  the  Confederates  obtained  salt  from 
this  source. 

The  miners  have  found  the  bones  of  a mastodon  in  the 
earth  above  the  salt. 

SULPHUR  MINE. 

Eighty  miles  west  of  the  salt  mines  is  an  immense  [mine 
of  pure  crystalline  sulphur.  The  sulphur  is  ioo  feet  in 
thickness  and  lies  over  400  feet  below  the  surface  of  sur- 
rounding country. 

GUINEA  GRASS. 

This  grass  was  brought  from  Africa  to  Jamaica  less  than 
200  years  ago.  It  has  spread  over  many  of  the  West  Indies 
and  has  been  grown  with  success  in  Florida  and  Louisania. 

The  grass  grows  8 feet  high  and  can  be  cut  three  times  in 
one  season.  It  makes  fine  feed  for  cattle  and  horses. 

The  tea  shrub  will  grow  here.  Experiments  have  proved 
this  fact. 

SHREVEPORT. 

This  city  is  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Red  River,  about 
500  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  20  miles  below  the  Great 
Raft. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


155 


It  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a productive  country  and  the 
cotton,  hides,  wool,  and  other  commercial  articles,  give  a 
business  exchange  of  $20,000,000  annually. 

There  are  more  colored  people  here  than  whites. 

Highest  temperature  102°;  lowest,  50  above  zero. 

Average  rainfall,  52  inches. 

RED  RIVER  RAFT. 

The  great  raft  in  Red  River  once  extended  nearly  45  miles. 

It  is  an  immense  collection  of  driftwood  and  trees  which 
have  lodged  in  the  river. 

In  1872  the  United  States  government  undertook  to  re- 
move the  drift,  and  in  November,  1873,  a navigable  chan- 
nel was  opened.  This  gives  an  outlet  to  a rich  cotton 
country  above  Shreveport. 

PASSAGES  FROM  LONGFELLOW’S  EVAN- 
GELINE. 

In  1755,  the  village  of  Grand  Pre,  in  the  Province  of 
Acadia,  or  Nova  Scotia,  was  broken  up  by  general  Winslow, 
under  orders  from  the  King  of  England,  the  property  of  the 
Acadians  forfeited  to  the  Crown,  and  253  of  their  houses 
were  set  on  fire  at  one  time.  Among  others,  Basil,  the 
Blacksmith,  the  father  of  Gabriel,  had  proceeded  to  Opelou- 
sas, in  St.  Eandry,  and  Evangeline  followed  Gabriel,  her 
lover,  with  her  guide,  the  Father  Felician.  Passing  down 
the  Mississippi,  as  they  approached  bayou  Plaquemine: — 


156 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


“ Level  the  landscape  grew,  and  along  the  shores  of  the  river 
Shaded  by  China  trees,  in  the  midst  of  luxuriant  gardens, 

Stood  houses  of  planters  with  negro  cabins  and  dove  cots. 

They  were  approaching  the  region  were  reigns  perpetual  summer, 
Where  through  the  Golden  Coast,  and  groves  of  orange  and  citron, 
Sweeps  with  majestic  curve  the  river  away  to  the  eastward. 

They,  too,  swerved  from  their  course,  and  entering  the  bayou  of  Pla- 
quemine, 

Soon  were  lost  in  a maze  of  sluggish  and  devious  waters, 

Which,  like  a network  of  steel  extended  in  every  direction. 

Over  their  heads  the  towering  and  tenebrous  boughs  of  the  cypress 
Met  in  a dusky  arch,  and  trailing  mosses  in  mid  air, 

Waved  like  banners  that  hung  on  the  walls  of  ancient  cathedrals. 
Deathlike  the  silence  seemed  and  unbroken,  save  by  the  herons 
Home  to  their  roosts  in  the  cypress  trees  returning  at  sunset, 

Or  by  the  owl,  as  he  greeted  the  moon  with  demoniac  laughter. 
Lovely  the  moonlight  was,  as  it  glanced  and  gleamed  on  the  water — 
Gleamed  on  the  columns  of  cypress  and  cedar  sustaining  the  arches, 
Down  through  those  broken  vaults  it  fell  as  through  chinks  in  a ruin. 
******** 

Thus  ere  another  moon  they  emerged  from  those  shades,  and  before 
them 

Lay,  in  the  golden  sun,  the  lake  of  the  Atchafalaya. 

Water  lilies  in  myriads  rocked  on  the  slight  undulations, 

Made  by  the  passing  oars,  and  resplendent  in  heart  the  lotus 
Lifted  her  golden  crown  above  the  head  of  the  boatman. 

Faint  was  the  air  with  the  odorous  breath  of  magnolia  blossoms, 

And  at  the  heat  of  noon:  and  numberless  sylvan  islands, 

Fragrant  and  thickly  embowered  with  blossoming  hedges  of  roses, 
Near  to  whose  shores  they  glided  along,  invited  to  slumber. 

******** 

Thus  he  spake  to  his  guests,  who  listened,  and  smiled  as  they  listened: 
Welcome,  once  more,  my  friends,  who  so  long  have  been  friendless 
and  homeless, 

Welcome  once  more  to  a home  that  is  better  perchance  than  the  old 
one. 

Here  no  hungry  winter  congeals  our  blood  like  the  rivers; 

Here  no  stony  ground  provokes  the  wrath  of  the  farmer, 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


157 


Smoothly  the  plowshare  runs  through  the  soil  like  a keel  through  the 
water — 

All  the  year  round  the  orange  groves  are  in  blossom,  and  grass  grows 
More  in  a single  night  than  a whole  Canadian  summer. 

Here,  too,  numberless  herds  run  wild  and  unclaimed  in  the  prairies. 

Read  the  whole  story,  it  will  richly  repay  you. 

The  land  of  beautiful  scenery,  of  glassy  lakes  and  bays; 
of  splendid  prairies  and  noble  forests;  of  pleasant  skies  and 
gentle  breezes;  is  the  land  where  Evangeline  sought  her 
lover  Gabriel,  as  described  by  the  poet  in  “A  Tale  of 
Acadia.” 


PRODUCTS. 

The  fruits  of  Louisiana  are:  Oranges,  lemons,  limes, 
bananas,  pineapples,  Japan  plums,  figs,  quinces,  pears, 
peaches,  cherries,  grapes,  pawpaws,  persimmons,  crab  apples, 
strawberries,  mulberries,  besides  nuts  of  various  kinds. 

The  bottom  lands  are  excellent  for  the  production  ot 
sugar,  cotton,  rice,  corn,  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes,  peas, 
tobacco,  melons,  hay  and  oats. 

Louisiana  is  not  rich  in  mineral  resources,  but  sulphur, 
gypsum  salt,  coal  peat,  iron,  and  various  clays,  are  found 
here. 

The  forest  trees  are  the  oak,  elm,  ash,  locust,  cypress,  sas- 
safras, mulberry,  walnut,  hickory,  pecan,  maple,  magnolia, 
poplar,  pine,  buckeye,  willow,  and  others. 

Stock  of  all  kinds  thrive  here.  Oysters,  fish,  and  water 
game,  are  abundant  in  their  season.  Sea  turtles  are  found 
in  large  numbers  on  the  islands. 


158 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Deer,  bear,  panther,  fox,  opossum,  raccoon  and  otter,  are 
found  here.  Alligators  are  found  in  the  rivers.  There  are 
a few  kinds  of  snakes. 

The  silk  worms  will  thrive  in  this  State.  The  mulberry 
leaves  are  their  best  food. 

Silk  culture  was  carried  on  by  the  early  French  settlers. 

Four  and  one-half  pounds  of  Louisiana  cocoons  make  one 
pound  of  silk.  The  silk  worm  season  lasts  two  months. 


TEXAS 


Location. 

Area. 


Gulfs. 


| Mexico. 

\ Galveston. 


" Canadian. 
Red. 
Sabine. 
Trinity. 


Rivers.  < Brazos. 


Colorado. 

Nueces. 

Rio  Grande. 
c Pecos. 


Mountains. 


' Galveston. 
Houston. 


Brownsville. 

Sherman. 


Products. 


j Animal. 

( Vegetable. 


V 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


169 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

236.  Alamo. 

237.  Staked  Plains. 

238.  Northers. 

239.  Yucca. 

240.  Mesquit. 

241.  Hog-wallow. 

242.  New  Philippines. 

243.  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle. 

244.  Pan-handle. 

245.  Mezquite. 

246.  Chapparal. 

247.  Cross  Timbers. 

248.  Arroyos. 

249.  The  Island  City. 


* 


QUERIES. 

264.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  Texas  ? 

265.  To  what  country  did  Texas  formerly  belong? 

266.  What  town  is  partly  in  Texas  and  partly  in  an  ad- 
joining State  ? 

267.  In  what  month  is  the  Texas  wheat  harvest?  Corn 
harvest  ? 

268.  When  did  the  slaughter  of  a few  pigs  nearly  ruin 
the  Republic  of  Texas  ? 

269.  The  dispute  over  what  territory  caused  the  Mexican 
war? 


160 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


270.  To  what  time  belt  does  Texas  belong? 

271.  What  State  leads  in  the  production  of  cotton  ? 

272.  How  is  fresh  meat  shipped  in  summer  time? 

273.  Why  is  Texas  called  the  “Tone  Star  State' ’ ? 

274.  Where  did  the  last  fight  of  the  Rebellion  take  place? 
When? 


OUR  GREAT  COTTON  INDUSTRY. 

What  an  expanse  of  knowledge  opens  up  in  the  one  word 
“Cotton!"  We  read  of  thousands  of  millions  of  pounds  of 
cotton  brought  to  the  mills,  made  into  cloth,  and  sent  out 
again.  We  call  it  one  of  the  staple  industries  of  our  country, 
yet  it  is  doubtful  if  we  really  have  any  idea  of  the  magni- 
tude which  the  cotton  trade  has  attained  of  late  years. 

The  planting  of  seed  begins  in  Texas  in  February,  is  later 
as  one  goes  northward,  closing  in  North  Carolina  and  Ten- 
nessee not  before  early  in  May. 

The  plant  resembles  a bean  in  its  early  growth,  shoots  up 
two  green  leaves,  and  grows  in  a few  days  two  or  three 
inches  high.  More  leaves  soon  appear,  and  in  about  three 
weeks  the  process  of  plowing  and  cutting  out  the  superfluous 
plants  begins,  leaving  only  three  or  four  in  a bunch  and  the 
bunches  being  one  or  two  feet  apart. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  cotton.  Those  most  cultivated 
are  from  two  to  four  feet  in  height.  The  pods,  when  ripe, 
burst  open  and  permit  the  cotton  to  be  easily  gathered. 
The  seeds  are  entangled  in  the  fibres  and  must  be  gathered 
with  them.  The  fibres  are  called  staples.  If  they  are  long* 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


161 


the  cotton  is  called  long-staple  cotton;  if  short,  short-staple 
cotton. 

The  seeds  are  so  entangled  in  the  staples,  that  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  cotton  industry  till  after  the  invention  of  the 
cotton  gin,  by  Eli  Whitney,  a Massachusetts  man,  about 
a ioo  years  ago,  it  used  to  take  a man  an  entire  day  to  sep- 
arate one  pound  of  lint  from  the  seed;  to-day  one  man 
superintends  machinery  that  does  5,000  times  as  much. 

Cotton  fibres,  though  thinner  than  cobwebs  singly,  are 
yet  tubes.  In  their  growth  on  the  seed,  they  become 
twisted  or  spiral,  a great  help  in  carding;  for  just  as  cork- 
screws twine  together  and  point  all  one  way  after  a good 
shake,  so  do  the  filaments  of  cotton  after  carding.  Fast,  but 
gently,  there  is  sent  off  at  last  a thin,  filmy  cloud  of  gossa- 
mer, floating  in  the  air,  which  gathers  into  an  endless  curl 
or  sliver  of  pearly  white  cotton.  X,ight  as  a wreath  of 
smoke  the  sliver  goes  on  to  unite  with  its  fellow  slivers,  and 
with  them  winds  at  length  in  a flat  coil  upon  a metal  reel. 

From  the  cards  the  slivers  travel  to  the  drawing  machines, 
and  now  we  see  why  so  many  slivers  are  joined  in  one.  The 
filaments  of  cotton  are  not  all  equal,  and  some  of  them  break 
in  carding,  which  would  make  bad  thread.  When  the 
slivers  are  doubled  over  and  over  again,  and  when  these 
doubled  slivers,  drawn  out  to  the  size  of  a candle  wick,  are 
doubled  from  sixteen  to  twenty  thousand  times,  the  stouter 
threads  correct  the  weak  ones.  The  finer  the  thread,  the 
greater  the  number  of  card  ends  doubled  into  one.  For  fine 


162 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


lace  sixty  thousand  or  more  are  thus  doubled  and  drawn  out 
into  a single  delicate  thread. 

Now  the  slivers  are  twisted  and  wound  upon  bobbins. 
Now  to  the  throstle  or  spinning  frame. 

Seated  on  the  bars  of  the  throstle  are  long  lines  of  reels  of 
cotton  thread  looking  like  a row  of  white  breasts  of  sea 
birds. 

Round  and  round  go  the  bobbins.  Reels  at  the  top  give 
out  the  thread  which  is  drawn  finer  and  twisted,  and  bob- 
bins below  receive  it  until  they  are  filled  and  others  take 
their  place. 

Then  there  is  the  weaving.  A good  deal  has  to  be  done 
with  the-thread  before  it  gets  to  the  loom.  As  a rule,  the 
twist,  to  form  the  warp  or  length-thread  of  the  cloth,  is 
throstle-spun,  while  the  weft , or  breadth-thread,  which  wafts 
to  and  fro  with  the  shuttle,  is  spun  upon  the  mule-frames. 
Women  prepare  the  warp  for  the  loom.  The  warping  frames 
look  not  unlike  giant  clothes-horses,  on  the  bars  of  which 
are  placed  bobbins  without  number.  From  all  these  bob- 
bins the  ends  are  culled  and  drawn,  narrower  and  narrower, 
to  a roller,  just  the  width  of  the  cloth  to  be  woven.  They 
pass  on  their  way  through  slip  gauges,  to  keep  their  exact 
distance  apart;  and,  round  the  roller  they  wind,  a sheet  of 
cloth  without  the  cross  thread  or  weft.  And  now  the  long 
lines  of  thread  look  as  though  the  giants  might  be  having 
a tremendous  game  of  “ cradle.’’ 

The  action  of  the  loom  upon  the  warp  is  to  raise  one  set 
of  alternate  threads  and  to  lower  the  other  set,  so  as  to  divide 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


163 


the  warp  into  two  sheets  of  thread.  It  is  trying  labor;  every 
separate  thread  must  be  seen  to,  so  that  all  shall  rise  and 
fall  without  a mistake,  and  at  the  same  time  travel  on  to- 
ward the  shuttle. 

The  rolLof  woven  cloth  lengthens  and  lengthens  as  the 
shuttle  flies  to  and  fro,  with  the  rap  it  gets  on  either  side. 
Neither  end  will  have  it.  Self-acting  arms  fling  it  back- 
wards and  forwards,  as  if  in  spite,  and  do  not  cease  until  the 
cob  is  wound  out. 

Between  the  two  separated  layers  of  warp  threads  the 
weaver  puts  in,  with  shuttles,  the  weft  threads  across  the 
warp  at  right  angles,  and  fills  up  the  breadth  of  the  web. 
By  means  of  treadles  both  warp  and  weft  threads  are  beaten 
up;  that  is,  pushed  up  together,  so  as  to  make  the  cloth  firm 
and  compact. 

The  whole  story  of  cotton  cultivation  may  be  told  now  as 
Auguste  de  St.  Hilaire  wrote  300  years  ago: — “All  the 
planter  has  to  do  is  to  burn  off*  the  woods  and  plant  his 
seeds  at  the  proper  season.”  This  is  all  that  is  really 
necessary  to  prepare  the  soil,  except  the  occasional  chopping 
out  of  weeds  or  sprouts.  But  the  great  drawback  is  the 
picking,  which  requires  such  an  immense  number  of  pickers 
that  the  other  crops  are  neglected,  and  up  to  within  a short 
time  ago  there  seemed  to  be  no  way  out  of  the  difficulty 
caused  by  the  slow  and  wearisome  toil  of  cotton  crop  picking, 
which,  occurring  as  it  does  at  the  hottest  season  of  the  year, 
makes  the  process  all  the  more  toilsome  and  laborious,  and 


164 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


often  subjects  the  planter  to  annoying  delays  from  his  negro 
helpers. 

But  again  the  inventive  genius  of  a scientific  mind  comes 
to  the  aid  of  patient  labor.  A firm  in  Texas  is  now  intro- 
ducing a cotton-picking  machine,  the  invention  of  Mr. 
Angus  Campbell,  which,  after  a thorough  test  in  the  cotton 
fields,  through  the  picking  seasons  of  1890  and  1891,  has 
demonstrated  that  it  picks  cotton  at  a saving  of  seventy-five 
to  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  cost  of  hand  labor. 

This  may  seem  incredulous  to  those  who  have  watched 
the  process  of  cotton-picking,  and  know  how  delicate  and 
intricate  the  operation  is.  But  this  machine  has  demon- 
strated its  usefulness  in  the  field,  by  doing  work  in  the  pres- 
ence of  thousands  of  witnesses. 

It  is  difficult  to  give  a lucid  description  of  its  construc- 
tion. It  is  mounted  on  two  wheels,  and  drawn  by  two  horses 
directly  over  the  row  to  be  picked,  the  plants,  if  tall,  being 
slightly  bent  to  allow  the  machine  to  pass  over. 

The  cotton  is  gathered  by  spindles,  which,  in  series  of 
nine,  project  from  sixteen  small  cylinders,  which  revolve 
around  a common  center.  At  each  revolution  of  this  sys- 
tem of  cylinders  the  spindles,  which  are  furnished  with 
brush-like  surfaces,  properly  guarded,  and  are  revolving  on 
their  own  axis  with  great  rapidity,  are  thrust  between  the 
branches  of  the  plant,  permeating  every  part,  engaging  the 
fibrous  cotton,  leaving  the  unopened  bolls,  blooms  and 
leaves  uninjured.  After  the  spindles  emerge  from  the  plant 
they  are  presented  to  rapidly  revolving  brushes,  which  clean 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


165 


them  of  cotton,  an  operation  similar  to  the  cleaning  of  gin 
saws.* 

The  cotton  is  thrown  by  centrifugal  force  to  the  rear  into 
the  receptacle,  which  has  a capacity  of  about  seventy- five 
pounds,  and  is -made  of  heavy  wire  netting,  allowing  the  dust 
and  dirt  to  escape,  but  retaining  the  fibre. 

Each  cylinder  has  an  independent  motion  equal  to  about 
one-half  a revolution  on  its  own  axis,  which  motion  causes 
the  spindles  to  remain  relatively  stationary  to  the  plant 
while  picking,  and  to  enter  and  emerge  from  among  the 
branches  with  the  least  possible  disturbance,  no  combing  or 
raking  motion  being  produced. 

A valuable  feature  is  a series  of  ribs,  through  which  the 
spindles  pass  immediately  on  emerging  from  the  plant,  and 
while  yet  loaded  with  cotton,  these  ribs  serve  the  purpose 
of  preventing  any  branches  or  hulls  being  carried  through 
them,  but  allow  the  fibre  to  pass,  and  are  formed  of  heavy 
steel  wire  twisted  with  bristles,  so  as  to  form  what  might  be 
termed  a large  round  brush. 

Another  feature  of  great  value  are  the  trailers.  They  are 
attached  to  the  machine  on  each  side,  at  the  lowest  point, 
and  extend  inward  until  they  nearly  meet,  thus  forming  a 
carpet  under  the  center  of  the  machine,  ready  to  catch  any 
chance  droppings  of  cotton,  which  are  at  once  seized  by  the 
spindles  and  carried  forward  to  the  brushes,  which  throw  it 
into  the  cage,  while  hulls,  twigs  and  leaves,  dropping  upon 
the  trailers,  are  simply  thrown  upon  the  ground. 


166 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  driver,  while  sitting  in  his  seat,  can  raise  or  lower  the 
whole  picking  apparatus. 

The  present  cost  of  picking  cotton  is  $12.50  per  bale;  the 
machine  is  capable  of  doing  it  for  about  $1.50,  and  the  ma- 
chines are  expected  to  average  over  one  hundred  bales  each 
in  a season. 

By  the  use  of  this  picker  the  planter  cannot  only  pick 
cleaner  and  more  quickly,  but  he  can  do  what  he  was  never 
able  to  do  before,  extend  his  plantation,  and  pick  every  par- 
ticle of  cotton  at  a very  small  cost. 

The  introduction  of  the  cotton  picker  will  begin  a new 
era  in  the  cotton  industry  of  the  United  States,  and  promises 
to  create  a furor  in  manufacturing  movements.  It  is  des- 
tined to  revolutionize  cotton  raising  in  the  South.  With  the 
present  labor-saving  machinery,  cultivators  and  cotton  chop- 
pers, one  man,  with  two  horses,  can  cultivate  a hundred 
acres  of  cotton,  and  if  he  picks  ten  of  it  after  it  is  culti- 
vated, he  does  well ; but  now,  after  he  has  planted  and  cul- 
tivated his  hundred  acres  of  cotton,  with  the  same  two 
horses  with  which  he  made  the  crop,  he  can  hitch  to  his 
cotton  picker,  which  costs  not  over  $150  or  $200,  and  pick 
the  entire  hundred  acres  as  quickly  as  he  could  give  it  one 
plowing 

Think  of  the  increase  in  the  cotton  trade,  since  Eli  Whit- 
ney invented  the  cotton-gin  ! Think  of  what  it  will  be  in 
future  years,  with  the  help  of  this  latest  invention  ! 

Cotton  picking  by  machinery  ! It  seems  as  though  inven- 
tive genius  could  go  no  farther  ; and  yet  the  introduction  of 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


167 


the  cotton-gin  was  looked  upon  as  a marvel  of  science  at  the 
time. 

Mr.  Campbell’ s name  will  go  down  to  posterity  among 
those  who  have  made  the  “lessening  labor  problem”  the 
study  of  their  lives,  and  surely  no  name  deserves  to  be  more 
gratefully  remembered  than  that  of  the  man  who  has  given 
us  the  cotton  picker,  and  with  it  a greater  stimulus  to  our 
great  cotton  industry. — [Revised  by  permission  of  the  Tone 
Star  Cotton  Picking  Co.,  from  their  circulars.] 

items  OF  INTEREST. 

SAN  ANTONIO. 

San  Antonio,  one  of  the  oldest  Spanish  towns  in  America, 
and  the  largest  city  in  Texas,  is  built  upon  the  site  of  the 
famous,  historical  Fort  Alamo. 

It  is  said  to  have  more  the  appearance  of  a country  town 
in  Spain,  than  of  even  a modern  town  of  France  or  Ger- 
many. 

It  contains  a Roman  Catholic  College  and  Cathedral,  a 
United  States  arsenal,  large  flouring  mills,  and  several  fac- 
tories. 

It  has  an  extremely  healthful  climate.  The  inhabitants 
paradoxically  say,  ‘ 4 If  you  want  to  die  here  you  must  go 
somewhere  else.  ’ ’ 

Tell  your  pupils  about  the  massacre  of  Alamo,  and  about 
the  noted  “ Davy  Crocket,”  who  met  his  death  at  that  time. 


168 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


GALVESTON. 

Galveston,  the  most  important  seaport  of  Texas,  is  pleas- 
antly situated  on  Galveston  Island,  on  the  south  coast  of 
Texas,  at  the  opening  of  Galveston  Bay,  into  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  harbor,  though  safe,  is  rather  shallow.  The 
island  is  only  about  5 feet  above  the  sea  level. 

The  manufacture  of  flour  and  oil,  and  the  pressing  of  cot- 
ton, are  the  chief  industries,  next  to  its  commerce. 

The  island  is  bordered  by  hard,  smooth  beaches,  which 
form  magnificent  drives. 

DALLAS. 

Dallas,  on  the  Trinity  River,  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
the  State,  is  an  important  railroad  center  and  manufactur- 
ing town. 

Over  130  factories,  of  various  kinds,  employing  more  than 
3,000  hands,  are  in  successful  operation.  Textile  fabrics, 
flour,  harness  and  lumber,  are  the  principal  articles  manu- 
factured. 

AUSTIN. 

Austin,  the  capital  of  Texas,  is  situated  on  the  Colorado 
River,  near  the  center  of  the  State.  It  is  the  shipping  point 
for  the  produce  of  about  40  counties  surrounding  it. 

A dam  1,100  feet  long,  and  60  feet  high,  across  the  river, 
affords  abundant  water-power,  which  is  utilized  to  furnish 
the  city  with  water  and  light,  and  to  furnish  motive  power 
for  manufacturing  industries. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


169 


The  Capitol,  next  in  size  to  the  Capitol  at  Washington,  is 
built  of  red  Texas  granite,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  public 
buildings  in  the  world. 

The  State  University,  and  various  State  benevolent  and 
charitable  institutions,  are  located  in  Austin. 

WACO. 

Waco,  one  of  the  growing  manufacturing  cities,  is  situ- 
ated on  either  side  of  the  Brazos  River,  near  the  center  of 
the  State. 

It  is  well  supplied  with  all  of  the  modern  metropolitan 
conveniences,  paved  streets,  water  works,  electric  lights, 
electric  street  car  lines,  etc. 

It  is  an  important  shipping  point  for  wool,  cotton,  live- 
stock and  grain.  The  principal  articles  of  manufacture  are, 
woolen  and  cotton  goods,  cotton  seed  oil,  vehicles,  flour, 
harness  and  ice. 

Other  rapidly  growing  towns  are:  Sherman,  which  has 
the  largest  cotton  gin  in  the  world;  Gainsville,  near  the  In- 
dian Territory  boundary;  ElPaso,  on  the  Rio  Grande,  noted 
for  its  smelting  works,  trade  with  Mexico,  and  meat  pre- 
serving industry;  and  Fort  Worth  on  the  Trinity  River, 
west  of  Dallas,  near  the  coal  and  iron  mines,  noted  for  the 
manufacture  of  steel,  ice  and  flour. 

HOUSTON. 

Houston,  named  after  the  famous  Sam  Houston,  a former 
governor,  is  situated  at  the  head  of  navigation  and  tide- 


170 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


water,  on  Buffalo  Bayou.  It  is  the  terminus  of  a number 
of  diverging  lines  of  railway.  A ship  channel,  200  feet  wide 
and  12  feet  deep,  from  Houston  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  was 
recently  constructed  by  the  United  States  Government. 

Its  being  the  distributing  point,  for  all  sorts  of  supplies, 
for  eastern  and  southern  Texas,  gives  it  considerable  com- 
mercei  Lumber,  cotton  and  hides,  are  the  chief  exports. 

The  Galvestonians  call  the  inhabitants  of  Houston  ‘ ‘ mud 
turtles,  ’ ’ and  the  Houston  people  reply  by  calling  the  citi- 
zens of  Galveston  “land  crabs.’ ’ 

MUSTANGS. 

The  wild  horse  of  America,  although  now  native  to  the 
soil,  is  descended  from  the  tribes  of  wild  horses  that  still 
roam  the  plains  of  Central  Asia.  When  the  discoverers  of 
this  continent  first  landed,  there  were  no  horses  anywhere 
in  North  or  South  America.  Centuries  before,  the  horse 
had  been  introduced  into  European  countries,  from  Asia, 
and  had  become  common  all  over  that  continent. 

Columbus,  on  his  second  voyage,  brought  horses  to  the 
New  World,  and  Narvaez  landed  a number  of  horses  in 
Florida,  in  1528. 

Cortez  took  horses  with  him  to  assist  in  the  conquest  of 
Mexico,  as  did  Pizarro,  in  his  conquest  of  Peru.  The 
natives  were  greatly  affrighted  when  they  beheld  these 
strange  animals.  At  first  they  supposed  that  the  man  and 
the  horse  were  one  complete  creature,  something  like  the 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


171 


centaur  of  which  we  read  in  ancient  fable.  And  when  they 
saw  the  rider  dismount,  and  disengage  himself  from  his 
steed,  their  amazement  knew  no  bounds. 

In  time,  the  savages  learned  that  the  horse  was  an  animal 
that  had  been  subdued  by  man,  and  that  it  was  a separate 
creature;  but  they  long  dreaded  the  horse  of  the  Spaniards 
as  a beast  of  prey.  And  when  the  horses  escaped  from  their 
masters,  and  made  their  way  into  the  freedom  of  the  forest, 
as  they  did  after  a space,  the  natives  avoided  them  as  some- 
thing to  be  shunned.  The  quarreling  Spaniards  neglected 
their  steeds,  which  soon  found  homes  on  the  plains  of  Mex- 
ico, South  America,  and  the  unexplored  interior  of  North 
America.  From  these  escaped  animals  have  sprung  the 
wild  horses  of  America.  The  mustang,  as  the  native  horse 
of  the  North  American  continent  is  usually  called,  is  gen- 
erally of  a bright  chestnut  color.  The  horses  marked  with 
odd  colors  and  patches  are  called  “ pinto,”  or  “painted,” 
by  the  Mexicans,  and  “calico,”  by  the  Americans.  The 
mustang  is  smaller  than  the  domesticated  American  horse; 
for  we  must  remember  that  the  larger  horses  now  found  in 
our  stables  are  the  direct  descendants  of  later  importations 
from  Europe. 


Ark.  “Bear  State. 


172 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ARKANSAS. 


S 

a 


o 

o 


VO 

to 

oo 


Location. 
Comparative  size. 
Lake  St.  Francis. 


Rivers. 


" Mississippi. 
Missouri. 

V White. 

Red. 

w Washita. 


Mountains,  Ozark. 


f Little  Rock. 
Cities.  *<  Hot  Springs. 

(Ft.  Smith. 


{Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

250.  Arkansas  diamonds. 

251.  Lost  Hills. 

252.  Field  crops. 

253.  Natural  resources. 

254.  Shoals. 

255.  Climate. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


173 


queries. 

275.  What  are  the  healing  properties  of  Hot  Springs  ? 

276.  How  was  Lake  St.  Francis  supposed  to  have  been 
formed  ? 

277.  Which  State  exceeds  Arkansas  in  the  production  of 
zinc? 

278.  In  Pike  county  there  is  an  alabaster  mountain. 
What  is  alabaster  ? Its  use  ? 

279.  Under  what  different  names  has  Arkansas  been 
known  ? 

280.  In  what  battle  of  the  Rebellion  in  this  State  did  the 
Indians  take  a hand  ? 

281.  Who  was  the  first  white  man  to  traverse  this  region  ? 

282.  What  place,  at  the  head  of  navigation,  on  the 
Arkansas  River? 

283.  Where  is  Arkansas  City  ? 

284.  How  far  north  are  Alligators  found  ? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

HOT  SPRINGS. 

These  celebrated  springs  have  a world-wide  reputation. 

They  were  discovered  about  the  year  1807.  There  are 
between  75  and  100  springs,  varying  in  temperature  from  90° 
to  150°  Fahr.  The  town  first  built  was  located  on  what  was 
supposed  to  be  private  land,  but  subsequently  proved 
to  be  public  land. 


174 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


By  a court  decision,  5,000  people  were  dispossessed  of 
their  homes,  but  were  allowed  to  file  their  pre-emption 
claims,  and  thus  become  owners. 

The  Hot  Springs  Mountain,  on  which  are  located  the  fam- 
ous springs,  was  reserved  from  sale.  This  reserve  enclosed 
an  area  of  245  acres.  The  bath  houses  pay  an  annual  rental 
to  the  United  States  Government  of  $5  for  each  bath-tub  in 
use. 

A receiver  collects  rents  for  the  Government. 

It  is  estimated  that  fifty  thousand  invalids  and  other  per- 
sons visit  these  .springs  annually. 

Thousands  visit  who  have  no  diseases.  They  go  simply 
to  see  the  marvelous  work  of  nature,  where  the  Great  Physi- 
cian has  stored  so  much  healing  property  for  afflicted  man- 
kind.. 

Many  wonderful  cures  of  rheumatism,  gout,  stiffness  of 
joints,  mercurial  diseases,  scrofula  and  diseases  of  the  skin, 
have  been  performed  by  the  use  of  these  waters. 

A heavy  fog  hangs  over  the  springs  and  upon  the  moun- 
tain sides. 

LITTLE  ROCK. 

Little  Rock,  the  capital,  metropolis,  and  chief  railroad 
center  of  Arkansas,  is  situated  on  the  Arkansas  River,  about 
250  miles  above  its  mouth.  The  site  is  on  a small  cliff  of 
40  to  50  feet  elevation,  hence  the  name. 

Two  miles  above,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  are 
cliffs  four  or  five  hundred  feet  high,  called  Big  Rock.  Lit- 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


175 


tie  Rock  is  the  seat  of  a United  States  arsenal,  of  the  State 
penitentiary,  of  the  State  institutions  for  the  blind,  deaf  and 
dumb,  and  of  a United  States  District  Court. 

It  contains  many  schools  and  churches. 

Population,  in  1890,  about  26,000. 


ARKANSAS  RIVER. 

The  source  of  the  Arkansas  River  is  in  Colorado,  at  a 
height  of  10,000  feet  above  sea  level. 

It  is  over  2,000  miles  in  length. 

Near  its  source  it  passes  through  a canon  40  miles  long, 
and  through  the  prairie  region  the  water  entirely  disappears 
in  immense  beds  of  sand. 

The  White,  Canadian,  and  Cinnamon,  are  the  principal 
branches. 

Near  the  mouth,  there  are  levees  to  restrain  the  spring 
floods. 

In  times  of  flood,  small  steamboats  ascend  to  Fort  Gib- 
son, in  the  Indian  Territory.  The  basin  of  the  Arkansas 
River  comprises  nearly  200,000  square  miles. 

SOILS 

The  soils  are  of  various  kinds,  viz. : The  high  and  bot- 
tom lands  of  the  Arkansas,  the  black  alluvium,  sandy  and 
clayey  loams,  the  sandy  and  clayey  mixtures,  the  black 
waxy  land,  and  the  red  lands. 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


m 


There  are  immense  tracks  of  submerged  bottom  lands, 
which  can  be  brought  under  cultivation,  by  a system  of 
drainage,;  and  levees  along  the  Mississippi  River.  The  up- 
lands are  varied  by  rolling  prairies,  which  are  generally  well 
watered.  The  principal  products  of  Arkansas  are  agricul- 
tural. 

The  soils  are  so  various,  and  the  climate  sucn,  that  almost 
anything  can  be  raised. 

In  the  Washita  valley  there  is  an  immense  bed  of  snperior 
oil  stone. 

The  northeastern  part  oi  the  State  consists  of  continuous 
swamps,  bayous  and  shallow  lakes,  covered  with  cypress 
and  gum  trees. 

The  timber  regions  protect  from  the  northers  of  the  North, 
and  the  hot  winds  of  the  South. 

The  soil  varies  from  the  most  fertile  to  the  most  barren. 

The  mammoth  Hot  Spring,  in  Fulton  County,  discharges 
8,000  gallons  of  water  per  minute. 

Fort  Smith  commands  the  trade  of  the  Indian  Territory. 
The  United  States  Court  here  has  jurisdiction  over  that 
region. 


Term.  “ Big  Bend  State. 

1796.  “Butternuts.” 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


177 


TENNESSEE. 


Bound  Tennessee. 

{East  Tennessee. 
Middle  Tennessee. 
West  Tennessee. 


Rivers. 


{Mississippi. 
Tennessee.  I 
Cumberland. 


< 


Mountains. 


" Allegheny. 
Cumberland. 
Missionary  Ridge. 
^ Lookout. 


Cities. 


Products. 


" Nashville. 
Memphis. 
Knoxville. 
Chattanooga. 

C Animal. 
a Vegetable. 

( Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

256.  Volunteer  State. 

257.  State  of  Franklin. 

258.  Hermitage. 

259.  Garden  of  Tennessee. 

260.  District  of  Washington. 

261.  Convict  Labor. 

262.  Big  Bone  Cave. 

263.  The  Enchanted  Mountains. 


178 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


264.  Devil’s  Pulpit. 

265.  Stone  Grave  Men. 

QUERIES. 

285.  What  minerals  does  Tennessee  afford  ? 

286.  What  county  of  Tennessee  is  circular  in  form  ? Why? 

287.  What  noted  summer  resort  in  Tennessee  ? 

288.  Locate  10  battlefields  of  the- Rebellion  in  this  State. 

289.  Contrast  the  three  sections  of  Tennessee  surface, 
climate  and  productions. 

290.  Which  colony  once  claimed  the  territory  now  called 
Tennessee. 

291.  Which  two  presidents  are  buried  in  Tennessee? 
Where  ? 

292.  What  city  has  the  largest  inland  cotton  market  in 
the  United  States. 

293.  What  city  was  depopulated  in  1878  by  yellow  fever? 

294.  What  is  Bessemer  steel  ? 

295.  What  was  the  capital  of  Tennessee  from  1796  to 
1816  ? 

296.  What  is  the  most  important  river  port  between  St. 
Louis  and  New  Orleans  ? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

A TYPICAL  STOCK  FARM. 

‘‘Belle  Meade,”  a large  and  typical  estate,  lies  on  Rich- 
land creek,  a beautiful,  clear  stream  of  water,  surrounded 
by  noble  hills  and  broad  valley  lands,  deep  set  in  blue  grass. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


179 


5,250  acres  comprise  the  farm.  It  has  a park  of  460  acres, 
in  which  are  over  200  deer.  Extensive  improvements  have 
been  made  since  the  war,  for  the  care  of  thoroughbred 
horses. 

There  are  100  brood  mares,  besides  celebrated  stallions, 
and  sixty  yearling  colts,  which  will  sell  from  $600  to  $1,000 
each.  There  are  also  a herd  of  Shetland  ponies,  Cashmere 
goats,  Southdown  sheep,  and  herds  of  blooded  cattle. 

Two  creameries  produce  one-half  ton  of  butter  each 
month. 

“ Belle  Meade,”  has  its  own  saw  mill,  grist  mill,  carpen- 
ter and  blacksmith  shops,  all  run  with  a full  force.  Previous 
to  the  war  there  were  60  head  of  buffalo  and  30  elk  here, 
but  the  soldiers  found  them  suitable  to  their  wants  and  taste. 
Most  of  the  hired  help  in  the  place  consist  of  the  former 
slaves  of  General  Harding. 

The  help  is  so  kindly  treated  that  they  cannot  be  lured 
away  from  the  place.  There  are  twenty-four  miles  of  stone 
fencing. 

On  the  highlands  are  found  blue  grass  and  grazing  ; on 
the  lowlands,  corn,  oats,  hay,  etc. 

Fruit  orchards  are  extensive  and  the  varieties  choice. 

NASHVILLE, 

The  capital  and  metropolis  of  Tennessee,  is  situated  on 
both  sides  of  the  Cumberland  River,  north  of  the  center  of 
the  State.  It  is  the  hardware,  dry  goods  and  drug  center 
of  the  South. 


180 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


$20,000,000  are  invested  in  manufactories. 

The  wholesale  trade  amounts  to  over  $100,000,000  annu- 
ally. 

Nashville  is  the  first  hardwood  market  in  the  country. 

The  iron  interests  are  extensive,  one  firm,  representing 
$9,000,000  in  mining  and  manufacturing,  in  Tennessee  and 
Northern  Alabama. 

There  are  many  schools,  among  which  is  a medical  col- 
lege for  negroes,  the  only  institution  of  the  kind  in  the 
world.  Read  your  history  for  facts  concerning  Nashville 
during  the  Rebellion. 

CHATTANOOGA. 

Chattanooga  is  located  on  the  Tennessee  River,  about 
six  miles  from  the  boundary  line. 

Lookout  Mountain  overlooks  the  city  from  the  south,  and 
Missionary  Ridge  from  the  east. 

Chattanooga  was  one  of  the  objective  points  in  the  Rebel- 
lion, and  the  battles  fought  in  this  vicinity  will  be  of  in- 
terest to  note  carefully. 

There  is  a National  cemetery  here  where  13,000  northern 
men  found  graves.  This  city  lies  on  the  natural  highway 
of  traffic  between  the  East,  West  and  South. 

Nine  lines  of  railroads  enter  Chattanooga.  The  coal  and 
iron  industry  of  East  Tennessee  center  here. 

This  is  the  first  place  in  the  South  where  the  Bessemer 
steel  was  manufactured. 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


181 


The  mills  and  factories  number  over  ioo,  besides  many 
small  industries.  This  valley  is  fertile  and  well  supplied 
with  pure  water.  The  mountain  tops  are  heavily  timbered. 

One  of  the  United  States  Signal  Service  stations  is  located 

here. 

LOOKOUT  MOUNTAIN. 

Lookout  Mountain  is  located  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
Georgia,  the  northeast  corner  of  Alabama,  and  on  the  south- 
ern boundary  line  of  Tennessee. 

The  elevation  is  1,600  feet  above  sea-level. 

This  mountain  is  almost  a perpendicular  cliff,  directly  over 
the  Tennessee  River,  and  commands  a view  that  baffles 
description.  From  the  point  it  is  said  that  seven  States  may 
be  seen.  A narrow  gauge  railroad  extends  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain.  The  mountain  extends  south  many  miles  in 
Alabama.  There  are  two  hotels,  a college,  cottages  and 
cabins,  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain. 

Hooker’s  famous  “ Battle  Above  the  Clouds,”  will  for- 
ever make  Lookout  Mountain  a noted  name  in  United 
States  history.  The  surface  of  the  mountain  is  well  wooded, 
and  has  numerous  springs.  There  are  many  curious  rock 
formations  here. 


HARRIMAN. 

Harriman  is  a new  city,  50  miles  west  of  Knoxville,  at 
Emery  Gap,  a natural  gateway  through  the  Cumberland 
plateau. 


182 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


This  town  was  founded  by  General  Clinton  B.  Fisk,  in 
1890,  and  inside  of  one  year  it  contained  4,000  people. 
Harriman  is  in  the  center  of  1,000  square  miles  of  land  rich 
in  iron,  coal  and  other  minerals.  It  has  an  abundance  of 
valuable  timber,  and  a bountiful  supply  of  pure  mountain 
water.  Mills,  factories  and  industries  of  many  kinds  are 
found  here.  There  is  a total  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic 
in  the  title  deeds. 

The  scenery  is  beautiful  and  the  climate  healthful. 

STUDENT’S  CAVE. 

This  cave  is  in  the  Raccoon  Mountain,  the  mouth  of  it 
is  in  Tennessee,  although  the  greater  part  is  in  Georgia. 

The  entrance  is  about  half-way  up  the  mountain  side,  and 
the  descent  to  the  floor  is  70  feet  perpendicular. 

The  walls  are  of  solid  rock. 

The  cave  winds  in  a southwesterly  direction,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  form  a connection  with  the  great  Nicojack  cave, 
which  is  20  miles  distant. 

It  was  first  explored  in  1848,  by  the  students  of  Mercer 
University,  hence  the  name. 

TENNESSEE  RIVER. 

The  Tennessee  River  is  formed  ,:y  the  junction  of  the 
Clinch  and  Holston  Rivers,  which  rises  in  Southwest  Vir- 
ginia. 

Including  the  largest  tributary,  the  Holston,  the  Tennes- 
see River  is  over  1,000  miles  in  length.  It  is  navigable  for 


SOUTHERN  STATES. 


183 


large  steamboats,  from  the  Ohio  to  Muscle  Shoals,  about  260 
miles.  There  are  small  steamboats  adove  the  shoals,  which 
ply  up  the  river  for  500  miles.  The  Big  Bend  includes  a 
circuit  of  300  miles  in  Alabama. 

The  upper  Tennessee  has  some  very  beautiful  scenery. 

This  river  drains  a territory  of  40,000  square  miles. 

Reelfoot  lake  is  the  largest  lake  in  the  State. 

It  was  formed  during  the  earthquake  of  1 8 1 1 . 

On  Duck  River  there  is  a pre-historic  stone  fort,  which  is 
an  object  of  interest  to  tourists. 


PERTINENT  QUESTIONS. 

1 . Are  you  reviewing  continually  ? 

2.  Do  you  vary  your  exercises  ? 

3.  Are  your  pupils  making  notes  of  the  work  done? 

4.  Do  they  consult  the  Gazetteer  daily  ? 

5.  Can  they  sketch,  in  a few  minutes,  any  state  studied  ? 

6.  Do  you  outline  every  State  for  study,  or  have  you 
taught  your  pupils  to  work  alone  in  this  matter  ? 

7.  Can  your  pupils  change  the  queries  to  suggestive 
key  words  ? 

8.  Can  you  change  the  key  words  to  items  of  interest  ? 

9.  Do  the  class  recite  topically? 

10.  Are  you  teaching  your  pupils  to  see  the  places  men- 
tioned, or  do  they  see  only  black  spots  and  lines  on  a map  ? 


184 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


AN  EXERCISE  ON  PRODUCTS. 


The  following  plan  has  been  tried,  with  good  results,  by 
the  authors. 

Write  the  names  of  products  upon  slips  of  paper,  or  card- 
board, thus: 


Rice. 


Sugar. 


Tobacco. 


Oranges. 


Hand  them  to  the  class  and  require  them  to  state  what 
they  know  concerning  them.  If  but  little  is  known  let  them 
take  them  to  their  desks,  and  study  the  topics  for  future 
work.  It  is  surprising  how  much  can  be  said,  in  one  or 
two  minutes,  when  you  know  what  you  are  to  say,  and  say 
all  you  can.  When  all  have  recited  upon  the  topics,  turn 
them  over  and  let  the  pupils  draw  promiscuously.  This  will 
add  variety.  The  following  list  is  suggested:  Corn,  wheat, 
coal,  gold,  lead,  iron,  nickle,  sponge,  peaches,  lemons,  glass, 
etc.,  etc. 

The  following  points  may  be  noted  about  each  subject: 

1 . Where  found  ? 

2.  Use  ? 

3.  How  obtained  ? 

4.  Exporting  and  importing. 

5.  Commercial  port. 

6.  History. 


Ohio.  Buckeye  State. 

1802.  "Buckeyes.” 


WESTERN  STATES* 


135 


OHIO. 


Location. 


Comparative  size. 
Lake  Erie. 


Rivers. 


Cities. 


Products. 


r Ohio. 
Muskingum. 
1 Scioto. 
Miami. 
Maumee. 
^Sandusky. 

f Cincinnati. 

| Columbus, 
j Cleveland, 
j Toledo. 

Sandusky. 

[ Dayton. 


Animal.  } 


(Grains. 
Fruits. 
Timber. 


Mineral. 


" Coal. 
Iron. 

1 Salt. 
Oil. 
Lime. 
, Etc. 


^ Manufactured. 


186 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 


266. 

267. 

268. 

269. 

270. 

271. 

272. 
273- 
274. 


The  Bay  City. 

The  Fire  Lands. 
Western  Reserve. 
National  Road. 

Queen  City  of  the  West. 
The  Forest  City. 

Paris  of  America. 

Black  Swamp. 
Blennerhassett  Island. 


QUERIES. 

297.  How  many  miles  of  lake  shore  ? 

298.  What  is  the  most  prolific  fishing  stream  in  United 
States  ? 

299.  In  what  part  of  Ohio  are  the  vineyards  located? 
Why? 

300.  Where  is  the  National  Normal  School  in  Ohio  ? 

301.  Which  city  of  Ohio  manufactures  large  quantities 
of  school  crayon  ? 

302.  What  is  crayon  ? How  made  ? 

303.  Which  has  the  longer  day,  Cincinnati  or  New  Or- 
leans ? Why  ? 

304.  Emery  Arcade,  in  Cincinnati,  is  said  to  be  the  larg- 
est in  United  States.  What  is  an  arcade  ? 

305.  Where  is  the  Central  Nation  Soldiers’  Home  located  ? 


WESTERN  STATES. 


187 


306.  Name  several  noted  men  of  Ohio. 

307.  What  Presidents  have  Ohio  furnished  ? 

308.  Where  are  the  largest  wagon  works  in  the  world  ? 

309.  Where  is  the  largest  fresh  water  fish-market  ? 

310.  In  what  productions  does  Ohio  excel  all  other 
States  ? 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

CINCINNATI. 

Cincinnati,  the  metropolis  of  Ohio,  is  pleasantly  situated 
on  the  Ohio  River,  about  midway  between  its  mouth  and 
source. 

It  resembles  Rondon  somewhat  by  its  river  fogs,  and  the 
smoke  of  its  foundries  and  factories. 

In  1790  General  St.  Clair  became  governor  of  the  North- 
west Territory,  and  he  it  was  that  gave  the  city  its  present 
name,  from  the  order  to  which  he  belonged.  One  portion 
of  the  city,  which  is  densely  populated  with  Germans,  is 
known  as  “ Over  the  Rhine.”  In  this  vicinity  are  the  great 
breweries  of  Cincinnati. 

The  city  is  well  supplied  with  public  parks;  one,  the  Eden 
Park,  which  is  sometimes  called  the  “Garden  of  Eden,” 
contains  216  acres,  and  commands  splendid  views  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  the  river  and  city.  The  Suspension 
Bridge,  which  connects  Cincinnati  with  Covington,  is  an 
object  of  interest.  It  stands  100  feet  above  low  water  mark, 


188 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


and  cost  about  $2,000,000.  A few  of  the  noted  buildings 
here  are  the  Government  Building,  County  Court  House, 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  Masonic  Temple,  Exposition  Build- 
ing, Music  Hall,  numerous  noted  schools  and  colleges,  and 
many  magnificent  churches. 

Cincinnati  stands  among  the  great  manufacturing  cities  of 
our  country. 

She  makes  what  the  people  of  Ohio  and  other  States  need, 
and  so  long  as  the  river,  railroads  and  canal  exchange  her 
products  for  the  cotton  of  the  South,  the  grain  of  North  and 
West,  the  stock  and  dairy  products  of  the  blue  grass  region, 
her  financial  success  and  prosperity  are  assured. 

In  1883  the  Ohio  River  rose  66  feet  above  krw  water  mark, 
destroying  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  property. 

Eight  square  miles  of  Cincinnati  were  under  water. 

LAKE  ERIE. 

Take  Erie  is  elliptical  in  shape,  and  is  the  only  one  of  the 
great  lakes  said  to  have  any  current.  It  is  nearly  2 50  miles 
long  by  40  miles  average  width,  with  an  area  of  over  9,000 
square  miles.  It  is  the  most  shallow  of  the  great  lakes,  and 
the  most  dangerous  of  the  fresh  water  seas.  ‘ 4 The  surplus 
waters  of  the  basins  of  Superior,  Huron  and  Michigan,  flow 
across  the  plate  of  Erie  into  the  deep  bowl  of  Ontario.’ ’ 
The  principal  tributaries  are  the  Detroit,  Raisin,  Maumee, 
Sandusky  and  Cuyahogo  Rivers. 

The  outlet  is  the  Niagara  River. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


189 


The  harbors  are:  Dunkirk  and  Buffalo,  in  New  York; 
Erie,  in  Pennsylvania;  and  Sandusky,  Cleveland  and  Toledo 
in  Ohio.  The  Take  was  named  from  the  Erie  Indians  (tribe 
of  the  cat),  who  were  exterminated  in  a single  day  by  the 
warlike  Iroquois,  but  the  name  lives  in  the  lake,  town,  canal 
and  railroad. 

Buffalo,  named  from  the  American  bison,  which  roamed 
along  the  lake  shore  as  late  as  1720,  is  at  the  foot  of  the 
lake  and  has  the  largest  harbor.  The  Erie  canal  connects 
with  the  lake  here. 

The  city  of  Erie  supplies  the  greater  part  of  the  coal  used 
on  the  lakes.  Navigation  is  closed  in  winter  on  account  of 
ice. 

Read  in  class  the  description  of  the  battle  of  Take  Erie, 
from  the  histories,  and  of  John  Maynard,  the  pilot  of  Lake 
Erie.  Look  up  the  record  of  the  Griffin,  the  first  boat  on 
the  lakes.  Tell  of  Johnson  Island,  where  Confederate  pris- 
oners were  confined  during  the  Rebellion. 

OHIO  RIVER. 

O-he-yo,  the  Wyandotte  word  means  “Fair  to  look  upon.” 

The  French  called  it  the  La  Belle  Riviere. 

The  Ohio  River  is  formed  by  the  Alleghany  (clear  water) 
and  the  Monongahela  (Falling-in-banks)  Rivers.  The  river 
constantly  changes  its  direction;  every  turn  presents  a new 
view,  now  a wall  of  hills,  now  a woody  gorge,  now  beauti- 
ful meadows,  now  almost  doubling  back  on  its  track;  the 


190 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


river  actually  running  north,  south,  east  and  west,  until  a 
person,  traveling  on  a boat,  loses  his  bearing  entirely,  as 
the  author  can  testify.  The  Ohio  has  the  most  uniform 
current  of  any  river  known ; it  never  seems  in  a hurry;  it 
loiters  among  the  coal  and  iron  fields  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
hills  of  West  Virginia,  the  farms  of  Ohio,  and  the  meadows 
of  Kentucky  ; it  curves  north  to  accommodate  Cincinnati  ; 
it  bends  south  to  receive  the  twin  rivers,  and  finally  mixes 
with  the  Mississippi  River,  one  thousand  miles  above  the 
Gulf.  Not  like  the  rushing  streams  of  New  England,  nor 
the  sleeping,  sluggish  streams  of  the  South,  the  Ohio  has  a 
character  peculiarly  her  own.  The  French  claimed  the  Ohio 
valley,  and  took  possession  by  depositing  leaden  plates  along 
the  shores  of  the  Ohio. 

Three  of  these  plates  have  been  found,  bearing  this  in- 
scription: “In  the  year  1750,  we,  Celeron,  commander-in- 
chief of  New  France,  to  establish  tranquility  in  certain 
Indian  villages,  have  buried  this  plate  on  the  Beautiful 
River  as  a monument  of  renewal  of  possession  which  we 
have  taken  of  said  river  and  its  tributaries,  and  of  all  the 
land  on  both  sides ; inasmuch  as  the  preceding  kings  of 
France  have  engaged  it,  and  maintained  it  by  their  arms, 
and  by  treaties,  especially  by  those  of  Ryswick,  Utrecht 
and  Aix-la-Chapelle. 

The  Ohio  is  about  1,000  miles  long,  and  carries  a greater 
volume  of  water  than  any  other  tributary  of  the  Mississippi. 

Give  the  names  of  principal  tributaries  and  cities  on  the 
Ohio  River. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


191 


CLEVELAND. 

Cleveland  is  the  second  city  in  size  in  the  State,  and  the 
northern  terminus  of  the  Ohio  canal.  The  city  is  built  on 
an  elevated  plain,  overlooking  the  lake.  The  Cayahoga 
River  passes  through  the  city,  affording  excellent  harbor 
facilities.  A breakwater,  costing  $1,200,000,  west  of  the 
river’s  mouth,  incloses  180  acres  of  water. 

The  city  is  supplied  with  lake  water.  The  Standard  Oil 
Company  have  their  headquarters  here.  In  Cleveland  are 
found  5 ship  yards,  20  oil  works,  150  establishments  of  steel 
and  iron,  extensive  lumber  yards,  numerous  schools,  colleges 
of  high  order,  and  magnificent  buildings,  both  public  and 
private.  In  1852  the  first  railroad  whistle  was  heard  in 
Cleveland,  and  in  1890  the  population  was  262,000. 

Cleveland  produces  more  refined  petroleum  than  any  other 
city  in  the  world.  (Possibly  Pittsburgh  excepted.) 

“ PORKOPOLIS.” 

Cincinnati,  geographically  located  in  the  center  of  one  of 
the  best  stock  farming  regions,  received  the  above  name  on 
account  of  its  pork  packing. 

It  is  said  that  50  men  will  slaughter  over  1,500  hogs  in  a 
day  in  a single  establishment.  Each  man  has  his  own 
special  work  to  perform,  the  labor  being  proportioned  among 
the  pen-men,  knockers-down,  stickers,  scalders,  bristle- 
snatchers,  scrapers,  shavers,  gamble  men,  gutters,  hose-boys, 


192 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


slide-boys,  splitters,  cutters,  weighers,  cleavers,  knife-men, 
ham-trimmers,  shoulder-trimmers,  packers,  salters,  brand- 
ers,  book-keepers,  porters  and  draymen. 

These  men,  once  under  headway,  dispose  of  a hog  in  less 
than  one-half  minute. 


COLUMBUS. 

Columbus,  the  capital  of  Ohio,  is  a flourishing  city, 
located  near  the  center  of  the  state. 

Not  including  Washington,  Columbus  is  not  excelled  by 
any  city  in  the  United  States  for  its  numerous  and  important 
public  buildings. 

The  State  Capitol  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  United 
States. 

The  State  penitentiary  covers  six  acres,  not  the  largest, 
but  one  of  the  safest  in  the  country. 

The  deaf  and  dumb,  the  blind,  and  lunatic  asylums  are 
located  here.  A United  States  arsenal,  and  other  Govern- 
ment buildings  are  situated  on  handsome  and  well  wooded 
grounds,  which  form  a suburb  of  the  city.  The  canal  and 
fifteen  lines  of  railroad  center  here.  In  1887  $190,000,000 
were  invested  in  the  coal  business,  iron  industry,  and  other 
manufacturing  interests.  The  State  House  well  is  2,775 
feet  deep,  and  the  temperature  of  the  water  is  91  degrees 
Fahr. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


193 


MOUND  BUILDERS. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  10,000  mounds  exist  in  this 
State  alone.  In  1845  a careful  and  scientific  survey  was  be- 
gun, and  continued  for  two  years 

At  Fort  Hill  was  one  noted  mound,  occupying  the  sum- 
mit of  a hill  nearly  500  feet  high. 

The  wall  and  ditch  inclosed  forty-eight  acres. 

Trees  were  growing  on  this  wall  which  are  estimated  to 
be  1,000  years  of  age. 

On  the  Little  Miami  is  another  work,  called  Fort  Ancient, 
in  which  the  walls  are  four  miles  in  length  and  twenty 
feet  high^in  places.  The  State  of  Ohio  has  bought  the 
site  of  this  fort,  and  it  will  be  preserved  as  a public  park. 

In  the  Scioto  Valley  is  another  one  embracing  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  and  near  its  mouth  are  earthworks 
extending  at  least  twenty  miles.  The  Newark  works  are 
more  extensive  and  better  known  than  others.  They  cover 
hundreds  of  acres. 


Ind.  “Hoosier  State. 

1816.  “Hoosiers.” 


194 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


INDIANA. 


' Location. 
Comparative  size. 
Lake  Michigan. 


Rivers. 

I 

-< 

. 

Cities. 


' Ohio. 
Wabash. 

< White. 

| Maumee. 

[ Kankakee. 

" Indianapolis. 
Terre  Haute. 
La  Fayette. 

{ Ft.  Wayne. 
Richmond. 
New  Albany, 
^ Evansville. 


i Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

275.  The  Railroad  City. 

276.  Crescent  City  of  Indiana. 

277.  The  Quaker  City  of  the  West. 

278.  Epsom  Salt  Cave. 

279.  Indiana  Block  Coal. 

280.  The  Drowned  Lands. 

281.  Cranberry  Marshes. 

282.  The  Tall  Sycamore  of  the  Wabash. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


195 


QUERIES. 

31 1.  What  is  lime  ? How  made  ? Its  uses  ? 

312.  What  is  the  only  lake  port  of  Indiana  ? 

313.  How  is  glass  made? 

314.  What  towns  of  Indiana  are  supplied  with  natural 
gas? 

315.  What  noted  Indian  battle  ground  in  the  state? 

316.  Where  was  the  first  settlement  made? 

317.  Who  are  the  literary  men  of  Indiana? 

318.  Tell  of  the  “Hoosier  Schoolmaster”  and  his  trials. 

319.  What  is  worthy  of  note  about  Delphi  ? 

320.  In  what  things  does  Indiana  excel  all  other  States? 

321.  Which  portion  of  Indiana  is  hilly  ? 

322.  What  is  the  largest  city  in  the  United  States  not  on 
navigable  waters  ? 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

INDIANAPOLIS. 

The  capital  and  metropolis  of  Indiana  is  located  near  the 
geographical  center  of  the  State.  It  is  on  the  old  National 
Road,  and  in  the  direct  line  of  communication  between  the 
East  and  West,  hence  enjoys  excellent  commercial  advan- 
tages. Fifteen  lines  of  railroad  center  here. 

An  abundance  of  pure  water  is  obtained  from  a subterra- 
nean lake. 

Many  beautiful  public  parks,  Government  buildings,  State 
Institutions,  all  combine  to  make  Indianapolis  one  of  the 


196 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


handsomest  cities  of  the  United  States.  The  grain,  the 
mercantile  and  manufacturing  interests  are  important  and 
extensive.  Indianapolis  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  coal  fields, 
and  the  region  noted  for  black  walnut. 

In  public  and  sectarian  schools,  universities  and  benevo- 
lent institutions,  Indianapolis  is  well  equipped. 

EVANSVILLE. 

Evansville  is  the  second  city  of  Indiana  in  size. 

It  is  a port  of  entry  and  controls  a large  river  trade. 
There  are  six  coal  mines  within  the  city,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
largest  hardwood  markets  in  our  country.  The  manufac- 
tories number  nearly  500,  which  includes  almost  everything 
made  of  wood  and  iron. 

The  population  is  over  50,000. 

NEW  ALBANY. 

New  Albany  is  situated  below  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  and 
nearly  opposite  Louisville,  Kentucky.  The  water  power  is 
second  to  none  in  the  West. 

Manufacturing  is  the  chief  industry  of  the  city. 

The  largest  glass  works  in  the  United  States  are  located 
here. 

The  fine  polished  plate  glass  is  a specialty  of  these  works. 

The  wholesale  business  is  extensive.  The  river  trade  ex- 
ceeds twenty  millions  annually. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


197 


SOUTH  BEND. 

South  Bend,  the  second  city  in  the  State  in  manufacturing, 
is  located  on  the  St.  Joseph’s  River.  One  wagon  factory 
covers  83  acres,  and  manufactures  40,000  wagons  annually. 

The  same  company  have  carriage  works  covering  three 
and  one-half  acres.  There  are  plow  works,  clover-huller 
works,  steel  skein  works,  toy  wagon  and  croquet  factory, 
besides  mills  of  many  kinds.  The  entire  output  for  1890 
aggregated  nearly  $11,000,000. 

The  city  is  supplied  with  water  from  sixteen  artesian 
wells.  Gravel  banks  in  this  vicinity  are  used  in  making 
excellent  roads. 


MARION. 

Marion  is  a prosperous  city  of  modern  growth. 

There  are  twenty-one  wells  of  natural  gas  within  the  city 
limits. 

Twenty-seven  factories  of  various  kinds  are  located  here. 

One  pressed  brick  factory  makes  20,000,000  bricks  annu- 
ally. Here  we  find  the  Soldiers’  Home  and  a Normal 
School. 

WYANDOTTE  CAVE. 

This  cave  is  the  most  remarkable  natural  curiosity  in  the 
State.  It  rivals  in  some  respects,  the  more  famous  Mam- 
moth Cave  of  Kentucky. 


198 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  cave  is  dry  and  the  stalagmites  and  stalactites  exceed 
in  size  and  beauty  those  of  the  Mammoth  cave. 

The  Mammoth  Hall  is  350  feet  long  by  245  feet  high,  and 
contains  an  elevation  175  feet  high,  on  which  stand  several 
large  stalagmites,  one  of  which  is  pure  white  and  is  called 
Lot’s  Wife. 

The  “snow  banks”  are  formed  by  fine,  loose  crystals  of 
alabaster.  In  places  the  stones  and  floors  are  covered  with 
the  crystals  of  epsom  salts. 

HAMER’S  CAVE. 

Hamer’s  cave  is  entered  on  the  side  of  a hill  forty-five  feet 
above  the  valley,  and  is  situated  about  two  miles  east  of 
Mitchell.  The  floor  is  level,  six  feet  wide  and  covered  with 
a swift  stream  of  water  eight  inches  deep,  which  at  places 
is  increased  to  twenty  feet.  A boat  must  be  used  to  explore 
it  and  hence  very  few  ever  venture  into  its  passages.  Three- 
fourths  of  a mile  from  the  door  the  whole  stream  rushes  down 
an  incline  only  three  feet  wide  with  great  violence  and  a 
noise  that  fills  the  entire  cave.  The  boat  may  be  carried 
above  this  rush  of  waters  and  after  passing  along  for  about 
three  hundred  feet  a person  comes  to  what  is  called  the 
grand  cascade,  beyond  which  the  cave  is  low,  wet  and  full 
of  rushing  water.  Eyeless  fish,  crawfish  and  other  crusta- 
ceans are  caught  in  this  cave,  which  has  an  outlet  into  the 
grand  amphitheatre  in  which  is  situated  a mill  which  is  run 
by  a power  given  by  the  water  carried  from  the  mouth  of  the 


WESTERN  STATES. 


199 


cave  for  a distance  of  over  one  hundred  yards.  The  top  of 
the  hill  over  this  cave  extends  about  sixty  feet  above  the 
opening  into  the  cave,  and  traveling  about  a quarter  of  a 
mile  eastward  the  explorer  finds  himself  at  the  entrance  of 
Donnelson’s  cave,  from  which  is  discharged  a large  stream 
of  water,  which  was  used  by  the  former  proprietor  to  drive  a 
woolen,  grist  and  saw  mill  many  years  ago. 


CENTER  OF  POPULATION. 

When  the  first  U.  S.  census  was  taken  in  1790  the  center 
of  population  was  located  at  a point  about  23  miles  east  of  Bal- 
timore. From  that  time  to  1890  the  center  always  traveled 
westward,  but  sometimes  a little  north  and  again  a little 
south  of  the  preceding  center.  In  1890  the  center  of  popula- 
tion was  located,  by  the  census  geographer,  at  a point  a short 
distance  southwest  of  Greensburg  in  southern  Indiana.  This 
town  is  about  500  miles  due  west  of  the  center  of  population  in 
1790,  making  an  average  annual  rate  of  about  five  miles. 
The  center  of  population  in  1890  was  marked  by  a stone 
monument  ten  feet  high  and  about  four  feet  square  at  the 
base.  It  was  built  by  the  Chicago  Herald,  and  has  on  its 
face  this  inscription:  “Center  of  population,  1890.  Latitude 
390,  11',  56";  longitude  85°  32',  53."  Ejected  by  the  Chicago 
Herald. 


111.  “The  Prairie  State. 

1818.  “Suckers.” 


200 


NORTH  AMERICA, 


ILLINOIS. 


Border. 


Size. 


f States. 

{ Waters. 

C Length. 

4 Width. 

( Area. 

Number  of  inhabitants. 

Rivers.  Name  and  describe  8. 

Lakes.  Name  and  locate  2. 

Cities.  Name,  locate  and  tell  important 
facts  about  io. 

Canals.  Name  and  locate  2. 

...  ( Domestic.  5. 

Animals,  j wild  * 

C Grains. 

Products.  4 Vegetable.  4 Fruits. 


( Timber. 


Minerals.  5. 

„ Manufacturers. 


5- 

10. 

10. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

283.  American  Bottoms. 

284.  Hennepin  Canal. 

285.  Black  Hawk’s  Tower. 

286.  The  Flower  City. 

287.  The  Gem  City. 

288.  The  Evergeen  City. 

289.  Cave  in  the  Rock. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


201 


290.  The  Great  Ship  Canal. 

291.  Latter  Day  Saints. 

292.  The  Garden  City. 

293.  ‘‘The  River  Divine/ 9 

294.  Earthquake  1811. 

295.  “Egypt.” 

296.  Indian  Mound. 

297.  The  Lead  City. 

298.  World’s  Fair. 

QUERIES. 

323.  What  colonies  owned  the  North-West  Territory  ? 

324.  What  was  the  “Great  Bird  of  Alton  ? ” 

325.  What  were  the  Black  Laws  ? 

326.  How  much  land  did  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
receive  from  the  State  ? 

327.  What  returns,  to  the  State,  does  the  Illinois  Central 
make  every  year  ? 

328.  Does  Lake  Michigan  ever  freeze  over? 

329.  How  much  lake  coast  in  Illinois  ? 

330.  What  and  where  are  the  Trembling  Lands  ? 

331.  Where  is  the  longest  continuous  street-car  line  in 
United  States  ? 

332.  In  what  respects  does  Chicago  lead  the  world  ? 

333*  Where  is  coke  manufactured  in  Illinois  ? 

334.  What  is  the  proper  name  for  the  Okaw  River  ? 

335.  Who  were  the  “ Prairie  Banditti  ? ” 

336.  What  names  in  Illinois  recall  historical  characters? 


202 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


337.  What  names  are  of  Indian  origin? 

338.  How  is  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  kept  in 
repair  ? 

339.  Where  are  the  watch  factories  in  Illinois? 

340.  Name  the  10  largest  cities  in  this  State. 

341.  Does  Illinois  own  any  of  the  Ohio  River?  Of  the 
Mississippi  River  ? Of  L,ake  Michigan  ? 

342.  How  are  the  foundations  laid  for  the  large  building* 
in  Chicago? 

343.  Where  is  petroleum  found  in  this  State  ? 

344.  Sketch  at  least  five  important  railroads  in  a map  of 
Illinois,  and  locate  the  cities  on  each. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 


STATE  INSTITUTIONS. 

Educational — 

University  of  Illinois,  Champaign. 


State  Normal  Schools,  { ^ Wale. 


State  Normal  Schools, 


Charitable — 

Asylum  for  the  Blind, 


< < 1 < < t 


“ “ Deaf  and  Dumb,  [■  Jacksonville. 

“ “ Insane.  ) 


Institute  for  the  Feeble  Minded,  Lincoln. 


Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  Chicago. 


Soldiers’  Home,  Quincy 


WESTERN  STATES. 


203 


Soldiers’  Orphans’  Home,  Normal. 
Reformatory  and  Penal — 

State  Reformatory,  Pontiac. 

State  Penitentiaries,  j Chester. 


“SUCKERS.” 


Travelers,  in  early  days,  when  the  season  was  dry,  were 
troubled  to  find  water  on  these  great  prairies. 

In  low  places,  swamps  and  small  streams,  the  crawfish 
make  deep  holes  in  the  ground,  down  to  water,  during  the 
dry  season. 

Persons  setting  out  on  a long  journey  provided  themselves 
with  long,  hollow  reeds,  which  they  thrust  into  the  crawfish 
holes,  and  thus  procured  a supply  of  generally  pure  water. 

The  word  ‘ ‘ suckers  ’ ’ is  derived  from  the  manner  in  which 
the  supply  was  obtained. 


< 


Mound  Builders. 

Indians. 

Florida,  1543. 

Virginia,  1606. 

Louisiana,  1682. 

{ Virginia,  1763. 

County  of  Illinois,  1779. 
Northwest  Territory,  1787. 
Territory  of  Indiana,  1800. 
Territory  of  Illinois,  1809. 
State  of  Illinois,  1818. 


204 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 

The  earliest  settlers  of  Illinois  can  be  traced  here  and 
there  by  earth  mounds,  by  stone  implements,  and  by  other 
relics  of  their  work.  Many  mounds  are  found  along  the 
Mississippi,  Fox,  and  Rock  Rivers.  In  the  “American 
Bottoms  ” are  scores  of  mounds  of  different  sizes  and  forms. 
At  Cahokia  is  one  that  covers  six  acres,  and  it  is  estimated 
to  contain  20,0000,000  cubic  feet.  Almost  over  the  entire 
State  are  found  arrow-heads,  spear-heads,  awls,  axes,  knives, 
etc.  Archaeologists  have  many  times  dug  into  and  explored 
these  mounds,  to  find  specimens  of  their  art.  They  have 
found  bones,  tools  of  flint  and  copper,  many  stone  weapons, 
and  carved  work  in  great  quantities,  such  as  pipes,  vases, 
pitchers,  beads,  etc.  These  people  selected  the  best  farming 
country  in  America  for  their  homes,  and  such  sites  for  their 
structures  as  civilized  men  select  for  their  great  cities,  viz: 
Cincinnati,  St.  Louis  and  Milwaukee.  They  were  farmers, 
no  doubt,  judging  from  their  location;  hunters  and  warriors 
from  their  weapons;  religious  from  their  altars,  temples  and 
idols;  and  they  worked  in  stone,  shells  and  copper,  as  shown 
by  their  specimens.  This  interesting  subject  must  be  left, 
for  space  forbids. 


INDIANS. 

The  Illinois  Indians,  composed  of  several  families,  num- 
bering all  told  12,000  strong,  were  located  within  the  pres- 
ent limits  of  the  State.  The  different  families  were  the 


WESTERN  STATES. 


205 


Kaskaskias,  Cahokias,  Tamaroas,  Michiganies,  and  the 
Peorias.  The  Saxes,  Foxes,  and  Kickapoos  warred  with 
them  and  drove  them  southward.  These  Indians  were 
friendly  to  the  French,  and  assisted  them  in  their  wars  and 
explorations.  When  the  English  obtained  control,  the  In- 
dians sold  out,  moved  west  again  and  again,  until  now  what 
remains  of  them  may  be  found  on  a reservation  in  Kansas 
and  Indian  Temtory.  Draw  an  outline  map  of  Illinois  and 
locate  the  Indiah  tribes,  by  writing  the  name  on  the  portion 
occupied  by  each,.  Tell  of  the  Indian  legends,  of  stories 
connected  with  Illinois,  of  their  habits  and  customs,  and 
their  treatment  by  the  whites. 

Here  are  a few  of  the  Indian  chiefs’  names:  Black  Part- 
ridge, Black  Bird,  Shabbona,  Black  Hawk,  White  Hair, 
South  Wind,  Pipe  Bird,  Sun  Fish,  Great  Speaker,  Tittle 
Sauk,  etc. 

FLORIDA. 

The  Spanish  claims  extended  northward  indefinitely.  By 
the  explorations  of  DeSoto,  and  the  reports  of  his  follow- 
ers, this  name  has  been  sometimes  applied  to  territory  as  far 
north  as  Illinois. 

VIRGINIA. 

The  grant  of  land,  given  by  King  James,  to  the  London 
Company,  embraced  the  southern  portion  of  this  State, 
while  that  of  the  north  was  claimed  by  the  Plymouth  Com- 
pany. 


206 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


LOUISIANA. 

The  French  explored  this  region  first,  and  named  it 
Louisiana,  in  honor  of  their  king.  Mobile  was  the  first 
capital,  and  D’Artaquette  its  first  governor.  Crozat,  Cadil- 
lac, and  others  followed.  The  famous  Mississippi  Company, 
under  John  Law’s  management,  came  next.  By  him  Ft. 
Chartres  was  built,  the  strongest  fortification  in  the  Missis- 
sippi valley.  Ere  the  bubble  burst  Illinois  had  a population 
of  over  5,000  white  people. 

In  an  outline  map  locate  the  following  French  forts  and 
settlements:  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  Prairie  du  Rocher;  Forts 
Chartres,  St.  Louis,  St.  Phillip,  and  Creveceour. 

Trace,  by  dotted  lines,  the  routes  of  Marquette,  Henne- 
pin, LaSalle  and  Joliet,  on  the  map. 

Tell  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers:  Mermet,  of  Kaskaskia;  Mar- 
est,  of  Peoria;  Charlevoix,  Binneteau,  and  others. 


VIRGINIA. 

After  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war,  this  region 
became  a portion  of  territory  controlled  by  the  Virginia 
Colony.  This  did  not  last  long. 

COUNTY  OF  ILLINOIS. 

The  County  of  Illinois  was  formed  in  1779,  with  Patrick 
Henry  as  its  first  governor. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


207 


NORTHWEST  TERRITORY. 

By  the  famous  compact  of  1787,  this  territory  became  sep- 
arated from  the  Colonies.  Marietta  was  the  capital  and 
General  Arthur  St.  Clair  the  governor. 

Review  “The  Ordinance  of  1787,”  and  explain  how  and 
why  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler  succeeded  in  obtaining  such  pro- 
visions as  it  contains. 

TERRITORY  OF  INDIANA. 

When  Ohio  was  ready  for  statehood,  the  remaining  por- 
tion, west  of  the  Wabash  River,  was  known  under  the  above 
name.  W.  H.  Harrison  was  the  first  governor,  with  Vin- 
cennes for  the  capital. 

TERRITORY  OF  ILLINOIS. 

In  1809  this  territory  was  formed,  with  Ninian  Edwards 
as  first  governor.  Kaskaskia  was  the  capital. 

ILLINOIS. 

In  April,  1818,  the  bill  passed,  admitting  Illinois  as  a 
State. 

Shadrach  Bond  was  elected  governor,  and  Pierre  Menard 
lieutenant-governor.  Vandalia  was  selected  for  the  capital 
for  twenty  years.  The  first  session  of  the  State  Legislature 
met  in  Kaskaskia,  at  a cost  of  $13.50. 


208 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


CHICAGO. 

Chicago,  the  metropolis  of  Illinois  and  second  city  of  the 
United  States,  is  situated  on  the  southwestern  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan.  It  covers  an  area  of  over  185  square  miles,  and 
has  a population  of  over  1,400,000. 

The  city  was  chartered  in  1837,  and  contrasting  with  the 
present,  it  is  safe  to  say  it  is  the  most  remarkable  city  in  the 
world  for  its  rapid  growth. 

Being  built  upon  a low,  marshy  plain,  it  became  necessary 
to  raise  the  city.  This  was  done  by  one  of  the  most  extraordi- 
nary experiments  ever  undertaken  anywhere  in  the  known 
world. 

Targe  hotels,  immense  business  structures,  and  even  whole 
blocks  were  raised  by  jack-screws  to  the  required  level,  from 
six  to  ten  feet. 

The  lake  shore  was  filled  in,  the  breakwater  built,  and 
artificial  structures  erected  to  keep  out  the  water  of  the 
lake. 

The  city  sewerage,  which  now  flows  partly  into  Take 
Michigan  and  partly  into  the  Illinois  River,  in  time  of  low 
water  is  to  be  directed  entirely  by  the  Great  Ship  Canal 
through  the  Illinois  into  the  Mississippi  River. 

The  water  supply  is  obtained  from  tunnels  which  extend 
two  miles  and  five  miles,  respectively,  under  the  lake  to 
enclosures,  where  the  water  fills  them  through  grated  cylin- 
ders. The  cribs  mark  the  source  of  the  water  supply 

Twenty-five  lines  of  railroads  center  in  Chicago.  Elevated 


WESTERN  STATES. 


209 


railroads  and  street  car  lines  lead  to  all  parts  of  the  city. 

Of  the  many  public  buildings  space  forbids  more  than  a 
mere  mention  of  a few  of  them,  viz: 

Masonic  temple,  twenty-one  stories  high.  The  Auditor- 
ium, largest  theatre  in  the  world,  the  tower  of  which  is  270 
feet  high;  the  Board  of  Trade,  the  market  for  Western  pro- 
duce; County  Court  House  and  City  Hall,  which  cost  about 
$6,000,000;  Tacoma,  Rookery,  Monadnock  and  other  busi- 
ness buildings;  the  Postofiice  valued  at  $5,000,000;  the 
large  hotels,  railroad  depots,  wholesale  houses,  retail  stores, 
one  of  which  has  in  its  nine  stories  thirteen  acres  of  flooring. 

Six  parks  of  Chicago  contain  over  2,000  acres,  which  are 
connected  by  drives  250  feet  wide  and  thirty  miles  long. 

There  are  many  places  of  amusement,  museums,  theatres> 
Battle  of  Gettysburg,  L,ibby  Prison,  etc.  The  historical  in- 
cidents connected  with  the  city  that  should  be  mentioned  are 
Fort  Dearborn  Massacre,  Chicago  fire  of  1871,  the  railroad 
strike,  Anarchists  and  World’s  Fair. 


210 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


SKETCH  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  RIVER. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


211 


KEY. 


1.  Lake  Michigan. 

2.  Chicago. 

3.  Des  Plaines  R. 

4.  Joliet. 

5.  Kankakee  R. 

6.  Kankakee. 

7.  111.  and  Mich.  Canal. 

8.  Fox  Lake. 

9.  Elgin. 

10.  Aurora. 

11.  Ottawa. 

12.  Vermilion  R. 

13.  Pontiac. 

14.  Streator. 

15.  Starved  Rock. 

16.  Utica. 

17.  LaSalle. 

18.  Peru. 

19.  Hennepin. 

20.  Peoria  Lake. 


21.  Peoria. 

22.  Pekin. 

23.  Spoon  R. 

24.  Galesburg. 

25.  Sangamon  R. 

26.  North  Br.  of  Sangamon  R. 

27.  Bloomington. 

28.  Normal. 

29.  Lincoln. 

30.  Champaign. 

31 . South  Br.  of  Sangamon  R. 

32.  Decatur. 

33.  Springfield. 

34.  Jacksonville. 

35.  Mississippi  R. 

36.  Alton. 

37.  St.  Louis. 

38.  Illinois  R. 

39.  E.  St.  Louis. 


ATRIP  DOWN  THE  ILLINOIS  RIVER. 

The  Des  Plaines  or  Iroquois  River  rises  in  Wisconsin,  and 
its  junction  with  the  Kankakee  forms  the  Illinois  River.  It 
was  named  by  the  French  from  a species  of  maple  which 
grows  along  its  banks. 


212 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Along  this  river  runs  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  It 
crosses  the  river  at  Joliet.  In  1816  the  Indians  granted  a 
strip  of  land  for  the  purpose  of  a canal  which  the  government 
was  to  construct.  This  canal  was  chartered  in  1836  and 
opened  in  1848  at  a total  cost  of  $6,400,000.  It  is  ninety-six 
miles  long.  Every  alternate  section  for  five  miles  each  side 
of  the  canal  was  granted  to  aid  in  the  construction.  This 
land  and  the  tolls  paid  out  the  expense  in  1871.  The  tolls 
now  more  than  pay  the  keeping  of  the  canal  in  repair. 

Who  owns  the  canal  ? How  is  it  controlled  ? What  is 
the  extent  of  business  done  ? 

Joliet  was  named  after  the  French  explorer.  -In  this  city 
are  located  the  northern  state  penitentiary,  the  largest  wire 
mills  in  the  state,  oatmeal  and  flour  mills,  the  Illinois  Steel 
Co.,  a plant  which  produces  weekly  3,000  tons  of  steel 
rails,  and  the  noted  quarries,  which  have  furnished  stone  for 
many  public  buildings  in  the  State. 

Joliet  possesses  a very  fine  court  house. 

The  Kankakee  River  rises  in  Indiana  and  flows  through  a 
low,  flat,  marshy  country,  noted  for  its  berry  marshes  and 
hunting  and  fishing  grounds.  Kankakee  is  the  only  city  of 
note  on  this  river.  The  stone  quarries  are  valuable.  It  is 
the  seat  of  an  asylum  for  the  insane. 

Much  of  the  barren  and  marshy  region  is  being  reclaimed 
by  drainage  and  brought  under  cultivation. 

Fox  River  is  the  first  tributary  of  the  Illinois  River.  It 
is  the  .outlet  of  Fox  Take  and  flows  through  a fine  country, 


WESTERN  STATES. 


213 


noted  particularly  for  its  dairy  and  agricultural  products. 
The  water  power  of  this  river  is  important. 

Elgin  is  noted  for  its  watch  factory,  which  employs  about 
3,000  persons,  who  turn  out  between  400  and  500  watches 
daily.  Cheese  and  milk  condensing  factories  are  found  here. 
Special  trains  are  run  to  Chicago  called  “milk  trains,”  which 
supply  the  city  from  this  dairy  region. 

Aurora  is  a thriving  town  on  the  Fox  River.  It  contains 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  & Quincy  machine  shops  and  has 
many  factories  of  various  kinds.  The  schools  are  of  a high 
order  and  among  the  best  in  the  State. 

Near  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  River  Ottawa  is  situated.  This 
enterprising  city  contains  glass  works,  cutlery  works,  a starch 
manufactory  and  other  industries.  It  is  a noted  grain  mar- 
ket. 

“It  is  remarkable  that  the  first  discovery  of  coal  in  Amer- 
ica, of  which  there  is  any  accountin  a printed  book,  was  made 
so  far  in  the  interior  as  Illinois,  by  Father  Hennepin,  over 
200  years  ago.”  Hennepin’s  Journal  of  1698,  locates  a coal 
mine  near  Ottawa  where  coal  comes  to  the  surface  along  the 
bluffs. 

A few  miles  below  Ottawa  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  is 
Buffalo  Rock,  so  called  from  the  practice  of  the  Indians  de- 
coying the  buffaloes  to  this  promontory  and  driving  them 
over  the  bluff  into  the  river.  Still  lower  down  the  river  is 
Lovers’  Leap,  with  its  Indian  tradition,  and  the  historic 
place  called  Starved  Rock,  which  commemorates  the  last  sad 
tragedy  of  the  Illinois  Indians. 


214 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Weakened  by  internal  quarrels  and  diminished  in  num- 
bers, the  entire  tribe  was  warred  upon  by  the  Ottawas,  Shaw- 
nees,  Kickapoos  and  Miamis.  Outnumbered  and  worsted  in 
a conflict  on  the  prairie,  they  retreated  to  this  bluff,  where 
an  attack  could  be  easily  repulsed. 

From  the  summit  of  the  rock  they  viewed  the  ruins  of  their 
village  and  crops  of  ripe  corn,  while,  for  fifteen  days  they 
famished  for  food  and  died  of  thirst  for  water  which  flowed 
at  the  base  of  the  rock,  about  150  feet  below. 

The  haven  of  safety  which  they  sought  thus  became  their 
tomb  and  monument.  In  1675  Father  Marquette  first  saw 
the  great  village  of  the  Illinois  Indians,  called  Kaskaskia, 
situated  on  the  plain  opposite  Starved  Rock.  L,a  Salle  for- 
tified the  rock  in  1682  by  building  a palisade  on  the  summit. 
He  named  it  Fort  St.  Iyouis. 

A company  now  own  the  rock  and  360  acres  of  surround- 
ing land.  It  is  being  fitted  for  a summer  pleasure  resort. 
A fine  hotel  and  a number  of  cottages  are  found  at  the  west 
base  of  the  rock. 

There  is  an  excellent  supply  of  artesian  water  found  here. 
An  American  flag  floats  from  a tower  on  the  top  of  the  rock, 
from  which  the  view  is  picturesquely  grand.  There  is  soon 
to  be  an  electric  railroad  built  from  South  Ottawa  to  the  rock. 

Utica  is  built  on  the  site  of  the  first  Indian  Mission  in  Ill- 
inois, erected  by  Father  Marquette  in  1675. 

It  is  also  noted  for  its  cement  works. 

A few  miles  below,  the  Vermilion  River  empties  into  the 
Illinois.  Upon  this  stream  are  located  Streator,  noted  for 


WESTERN  STATES. 


215 


coal  mines  and  glass  works,  and  Pontiac,  the  seat  of  the 
State  Reformatory. 

Near  this  river  are  Bailey's  Falls  and  the  famous  Deer 
Park. 

At  the  former  may  be  seen  the  rainbow  when  the  sun 
shines  upon  the  spray  as  it  falls  over  a precipice  of  some  forty 
feet. 

At  the  foot  of  the  falls  are  some  very  large  detached  rocks 
that  have  been  broken  from  the  fissured  ledge  above. 

Deer  Park  is  so  called  from  the  custom  of  the  Indians  driv- 
ing the  deer  into  it  and  then  slaughtering  them.  There  is 
only  one  passage  out  and  that  only  a few  rods  wide. 

The  walls  are  from  forty  to  seventy-five  feet  in  height. 

Across  the  river  from  the  mouth  of  the  Vermilion  is  Da 
Salle,  and  a mile  below  is  Peru  City. 

These  cities  are  sometimes  called  the  “twin  cities," 
although  the  citizens  of  L,a  Salle  are  mainly  Irish,  while 
those  of  Peru  are  Germans. 

At  L,a  Salle  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  terminates. 

Here  are  found  the  largest  zinc  works  in  America.  The 
ore  used  is  shipped  in  by  railroad  from  Missouri  and  Ken- 
tucky. The  coal  trade  is  very  important,  as  is  also  the  glass 
industry. 

Peru  has  a plow  factory,  zinc  works,  coal  mines  and  large 
ice  houses. 

Passing  down  we  reach  the  big  bend  of  the  Illinois  River 
and  in  this  turn  the  town  of  Hennepin  is  situated. 


216 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


This  town  was  once  an  important  trading  post,  in  the 
days  before  railroads.  Just  above  the  town  the  Hennepin 
Canal  connects  with  the  river.  Webster,  Van  Buren  and 
other  celebrities  have  visited  this  place.  Here  was  located 
one  of  the  underground  railroad  stations  in  anti-bellum  days. 
It  was  named  after  Father  Hennepin. 

A few  miles  below,  at  Henry,  there  is  a government  dam, 
to  assist  in  the  navigation  of  the  river  above.  Steamboats 
pass  the  dam  by  means  of  a lock. 

Toll  is  collected  of  all  passing  boats.  Tower  down  we 
come  to  that  beautiful  expansion  of  the  Illinois  River  called 
Peoria  Take. 

It  is  about  20  miles  in  length,  and  from  one-and-a-half  to  s 
two  miles  wide. 

Peoria,  “ the  whisky  city/ * is  just  below  the  lake.  It  is 
built  on  the  site  of  old  Fort  Creve  Coeur  (Broken  Heart). 
The  fort  built  here  was  one  of  the  first  steps  taken  towards 
a permanent  settlement  in  Illinois  (1680).  Peoria  is  noted 
for  its  corn  market,  its  breweries,  its  distilleries,  and  its  vari- 
ous manufactures.  Peoria  pays  more  revenue  on  distilled 
spirits  than  any  other  city  in  United  States. 

Pekin,  still  lower  down,  but  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  follows  in  the  foot-steps  of  Peoria,  so  far  as  industries 
are  concerned. 

Next  we  reach  the  mouth  of  a stream  called  Spoon  River, 
on  which  is  found  Galesburg,  in  the  midst  of  a good  agri- 
cultural country. 

It  has  large  factories  for  cars,  wagons,  carriages,  etc. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


217 


It  is  the  seat  of  Knox  College  and  Lombard  University. 

The  Sangamon  is  the  largest  tributary  of  the  Illinois 
River,  and  near  its  source  we  find  Champaign.  Champaign 
is  located  in  the  broom  corn  region  of  Illinois,  and  is  the 
seat  of  the  Illinois  University. 

Passing  down  the  Sangamon  we  reach  Decatur,  which  is 
located  geographically  in  the  center  of  the  State. 

The  city  was  named  in  honor  of  Commodore  Stephen 
Decatur.  This  city  possesses  most  of  the  modern  improve- 
ments that  belong  to  metropolitan  cities. 

Decatur  is  the  center  of  the  great  coal  fields  of  Illinois. 
There  are  two  shafts  within  the  city  limits.  It  is  surrounded 
by  the  best  corn  land  of  the  world.  It  is  the  birthplace  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Post  No.  i was  organ- 
ized here  April  6,  1866. 

A large  memorial  hall  is  soon  to  be  erected.  Lincoln 
and  Oglesby  are  two  of  her  honored  citizens.  The  com- 
merce of  this  city  will  exceed  $6,000,000  annually.  2,500 
people  are  engaged  in  manufacturing  industries  of  various 
kinds.  Decatur  supplies  the  world  with  checkrowers  and 
hog  ringers. 

The  pressed  brick  and  tile  industry  is  important. 

Forty  miles  west  of  Decatur  we  reach  the  capital  of  the 
State.  The  Capitol  is  the  chief  building,  which  cost  about 
$5,000,000. 

It  contains  many  objects  of  interest,  such  as  Memorial 
Hall,  museums  of  natural  history  and  agriculture,  State 


218 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Library,  etc.  It  is  heated  by  steam  and  lighted  by  elec- 
tricity. The  dome  stands  365  feet  high. 

Watch  making  is  the  leading  industry.  The  factory  turns 
out  400  daily,  and  employs  800  men.  The  buildings  cover 
16  acres  of  ground. 

The  Wabash  railroad  machine  shops  are  located  here. 

Thirteen  coal  shafts  are  in  constant  operation  in  this 
vicinity. 

Lincoln's  Monument  and  the  memorials  kept  there,  are 
well  worth  a visit.  Lincoln’s  home  is  still  kept  much  as  he 
left  it  and  is  open  to  visitors. 

On  a branch  of  the  Sangamon  we  find  Bloomington,  Nor- 
mal and  Lincoln. 

The  former  is  pleasantly  situated  on  a rolling  prairie,  and 
is  one  of  the  prettiest  inland  cities  of  the  State.  Its  indus- 
tries are  the  coal  mine,  the  C.  & A.  machine  shops,  extens- 
ive nurseries,  and  various  manufactories. 

It  is  the  seat  of  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University. 

Normal,  only  two  miles  north,  is  noted  for  being  the  seat 
of  the  State  Normal  School  and  Soldiers’  Orphans’  Home. 
Many  Norman  horses  are  raised  here.  The  berry  culture  is 
important. 

Lincoln  is  the  seat  of  the  Home  for  the  Feeble  Minded 
and  the  Lincoln  University.  Near  here  is  a large  farm 
owned  by  an  English  Lord,  who  rents  it  to  tenants  in  a 
manner  similar  to  the  English  plan. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


219 


West  of  Springfield,  and  some  distance  from  the  river,  we 
find  Jacksonville,  “The  Athens  of  the  West.”  In  1829 
the  Illinois  College  was  founded,  the  oldest  in  the  State. 

Besides  the  State  Institutions,  Jacksonville  boasts  of  a 
Business  College,  The  Illinois  Female  College  and  a Con- 
servatory of  Music.  There  are  numerous  manufacturing 
industries  here. 

Near  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River  they  sometimes  have 
sand  storms,  and  in  a few  localities  there  exists  beds  of  quick- 
sands. 

Below  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River,  on  the  Mississippi, 
we  find  Alton,  noted  for  its  quarries,  lime,  fruit  and  coal.  It 
is  the  seat  of  Shurtleft  College.  There  are  many  bluffs  along 
the  river  in  this  region. 

East  St.  Louis  is  noted  as  a railroad  center  and  a great 
manufacturing  city.  It  is  connected  with  St.  Louis  by  two 
large  steel  bridges. 

ROCKFORD. 

Rockford,  a flourishing  manufacturing  town,  is  situated 
on  both  sides  of  the  Rock  River,  whose  strong  current  is 
here  spanned  by  six  bridges.  The  city  gets  its  water  sup- 
ply from  several  artesian  wells.  It  is  well  supplied 
with  the  modern  metropolitan  necessaries  and  conveniences. 

ROCK  ISLAND. 

The  city  of  Rock  Island  is  built  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  three  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Rock 


220 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


River  and  opposite  Rock  Island.  The  Mississippi  is  here 
spanned  by  several  bridges.  The  principal  business  is  the 
manufacture  of  lumber  of  various  kinds. 

The  island  of  Rock  Island  is  owned  by  the  United  States, 
and  is  the  seat  of  the  Central  United  States  arsenal.  It  was 
formerly  the  site  of  Fort  Armstrong,  and  was  used  as  a prison 
for  captured  Confederates  during  the  Civil  War.  The  island 
is  connected  by  bridges  with  Rock  Island,  Moline  and 
Davenport. 

MOLINE. 

Moline,  a lew  miles  above  Rock  Island,  has  a-  beautiful 
and  healthful  location,  immense  water  power  from  the  rapids 
in  the  Mississippi  River,  and  is  noted  for  its  numerous  fac- 
tories. The  principal  articles  of  manufacture  are  vehicles, 
agricultural  implements  and  organs. 

GALENA. 

Galena  is  picturesquely  built  on  several  terraces  on  the 
Fevre  River,  about  six  miles  from  the  Mississippi  River. 
Steamboats  can  ascend  the  river  to  Galena.  Considerable 
quantities  of  lead  ore  are  mined  in  this  vicinity. 

General  Grant  lived  at  this  place  at  the  opening  of  the 
Civil  War.  A beautiful  monument  to  his  honor  and  mem- 
ory was  erected  in  the  Galena  Cemetery,  in  1890.  by  his 
grateful  and  admiring  fellow-citizens. 

NAUVOO. 

Nauvoo,  pleasantly  situated  on  high  ground,  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  14  miles  above  Keokuk,  is 
noted  for  being  founded  and  occupied  by  the  Mormons.  A 


WESTERN  STATES. 


221 


large  and  costly  temple,  which  was  erected  by  them,  is  now 
only  a heap  of  ruins.  The  population  before  the  expulsion 
of  the  Mormons,  in  1846,  was  15,000.  It  is  now  less  than 
one  thousand. 

QUINCY. 

Quincy,  one  of  the  large  and  growing  cities  of  Illinois,  is 
beautifully  situated  on  a limestone  bluff,  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  about  170  miles  above  St.  Eouis. 

Its  manufactures  are  extensive  and  varied. 

It  has  numerous  elegant  public  buildings,  and  is  the  seat 
of  the  Illinois  State  Soldiers’  Home.  Over  700  veterans  of 
the  Civil  War  are  here  comfortably  cared  for  by  the  State. 

KASKASKIA. 

Kaskaskia,  the  first  town  settled  in  Illinois,  was  founded 
about  1682.  A mission  station  was  established  near  Utica, 
Illinois,  by  Marquette,  in  1675,  and  named  Kaskaskia.  A 
few  years  afterwards  the  mission  and  its  name  was  transferred 
to  where  Kaskaskia  now  stands.  Kaskaskia  was  the  first 
capital  of  Illinois. 

On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Kaskaskia  River,  is  Chester, 
which  contains  one  of  the  State  penitentiaries. 

CAIRO. 

Cairo,  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  with  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  is  well  located  for  commerce.  The  city  is 
protected  from  inundation  by  immense  levees. 

A magnificent  steel  railroad  bridge  here  crosses  the  Ohio 

River. 


Ky.  il  Corn  Cracker  State. 

1791.  “ Corn  Crackers.  ’ ’ 


222 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


KENTUCKY. 


" Location. 


Comparative  size. 


Rivers. 


' Mississippi. 
Ohio. 

Tennessee. 

<{  Cumberland, 
Green. 
Kentucky. 

^ Big  Sandy. 


Cumberland  Mountains. 


Mammoth  Cave. 


Cities. 


Products. 


" Louisville. 

Frankfort. 

Lexington. 

^ Covington. 
r f Horses. 

| Mules. 
Animal.  \ Cattle. 

I Hogs. 

( Sheep. 

f Grains. 
Vegetable.  -j  Fruits. 

(Timber. 

f Coal. 

I Iron. 

Mineral.  \ Lead. 

I Salt. 

L Marble. 


/ 


WESTERN  STATES. 


223 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 


299. 

30°. 

3°I. 

302. 

3°3* 

3°4* 

3°5* 

306. 

3°7- 

308. 

3°9* 


Blue  Grass  Region 
Salt  Licks. 

The  Garden  of  Kentucky. 
Swiss  Colonies. 

Land  of  Cane. 

Big  Bone  Licks. 

The  Falls  City. 

Daniel  Boone. 
Transylvania. 

Water  lime. 

The  Pride  of  Kentucky. 


QUERIES. 


345.  What  are  “oak  knobs ?” 

346.  In  what  part  of  the  State  are  the  “ Barrens?  ” 

347.  Who  were  the  early  pioneers  of  Kentucky  ? 

348.  What  does  the  word  Kentucky  mean  ? 

349.  Repeat  the  State  motto. 

350.  Why  did  no  Indian  tribe  own  the  territory  called 
Kentucky  ? 

351.  How  can  the  coral  formations  in  Kentucky  be  ac- 
counted for  ? 

352.  In  what  manner  is  the  Mammoth  Cave  connected 
with  the  War  of  1812? 

353.  Relate  the  troubles  of  the  early  settlers  with 
Indians. 


224 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


354.  Kentucky  produces  two-thirds  of  the  hemp  raised  in 
this  country.  What  is  made  of  hemp  ? 

355.  What  two  noted  Presidents  were  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky ? 

ITEMS  OE  INTEREST. 


MAMMOTH  CAVE. 


This  wonderful  cave  is  in  Kentucky,  about  100  miles  south 
of  Louisville,  and  people  are  continually  going  to  see  it.  It 
was  first  discovered  in  1802.  In  1809  it  was  purchased  for 
forty  dollars.  It  now  belongs  to  nine  heirs,  each  of  which 
receive  from  it  an  income  of  $1,000  annually.  The  Mam- 
moth Cave  is  the  largest  known  in  the  world. 

The  Cave  contains  hundreds  of  avenues,  numerous  rivers, 
many  domes  and  pits,  eight  cataracts,  besides  a few  animals 
and  curious  rock  formations.  Let  us  enter  and  take  a trip 
into  one  of  the  world’s  wonders. 

The  fee  is  paid  and  we  are  furnished  with  overalls,  blouses, 
flannel  caps  and  a swinging  lamp.  As  you  enter  you  think 
a strong  current  of  air  is  behind  you,  but  it  is  really  the 
“breath”  of  the  cave. 

The  guide  tells  us  that  the  temperature  is  56  degrees, 
Fahr. , the  year  round,  and  the  cave  inhales  and  exhales,  as 
the  temperature  outside  is  above  or  below.  As  we  proceed, 
hundreds  of  bats  flit  about  and  circle  around  our  heads. 
These  bats,  a few  rats,  lizards,,  a strange  kind  of  cricket,  and 
e eyeless  fish,  constitute  the  animal  life  of  the  cave. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


225 


Nearly  all  the  places  are  christened  with  names,  such  as: 
The  Rotunda,  The  Chapel,  The  Haunted  Chamber,  Audu- 
bon Avenue,  The  Devil’s  Arm  Chair,  The  Bottomless  Pit, 
Bridge  of  Sighs,  The  Dead  Sea,  The  Rivers  Styx  and  Echo, 
The  Star  Chamber,  Giant’s  Coffin,  Kentucky  Cliffs,  and 
many  others.  The  guides  tell  us  the  legends  of  some  of 
these.  In  the  Gothic  Chapel  with  its  bridal  altar,  a Ken- 
tucky belle  was  married  to  her  lover,  after  having  promised 
to  marry  no  man  on  earth.  She  insisted  she  had  kept  her 
promise  to  the  very  letter,  by  marrying  in  this  subterranean 
“ Gretna  Green.”  In  the  Haunted  Chamber  two  Indian 
mummies  were  found,  hence  the  name. 

Wandering  Willie’s  Spring  was  named  from  a blind  bo}^ 
who  wandered  into  the  cave,  and  when  found  was  asleep 
beside  the  spring  which  bears  his  name. 

McPherson’s  Monument  is  a rude  pile  of  stone,  built  by 
the  staff  officers  of  that  brave  general.  Stones  are  added 
to  the  pile  by  the  General’s  soldiers  and  friends  who  visit  the 
cave. 

The  stalactites  of  gigantic  size,  and  stalagmites  of  fantas- 
tic forms,  when  illuminated  by  calcium  lights,  present  a 
scene  never  to  be  forgotten. 

TOBACCO. 

Kentucky  ranks  first  in  the  production  of  tobacco,  and  in 
the  study  of  this  State  a good  opportunity  is  afforded  to 
know  something  about  it;  its  history,  growth  and  commer- 
cial importance. 


226 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


It  is  a plant,  a genus  of  the  solanacecz,  or  night  shade 
family,  and  a native  of  America. 

The  early  explorers  introduced  it  into  the  old  world. 

Relate  Raleigh’s  experiments  and  experiences  It  was 
used  as  money  (the  medium  of  exchange)  in  the  Virginia 
colony  at  one  time,  and  was  grown  in  the  streets  of  James- 
town. 

The  tooacco  seed  is  first  sown  in  beds,  and  propagated 
similarly  to  cabbage  plants. 

The  plants  are  set  out  in  rows,  checked  like  corn  ground, 
and  from  4,000  to  7,000  plants  are  used  on  each  acre. 

It  requires  thorough  cultivation. 

Many  insects  prey  upon  this  plant,  among  which  are  the 
larva  of  a sphinx,  commonly  known  as  the  “big  green 
worm,”  the  common  tobacco  worm,  and  others.  During  the 
“ worming”  season  constant  care  is  required.  “ Priming  ” 
consists  of  destroying  worm-eaten  and  soiled  leaves.  1 ‘ Top- 
ping ’ ’ is  cutting  off  the  top  of  the  plant  that  the  strength 
may  go  to  the  leaves.  “ Cutting”  consists  in  severing  the 
stalks  near  the  ground,  and  when  wilted  so  the  leaves  will 
not  break,  they  are  deposited  in  the  tobacco  house.  The 
“curing”  takes  from  75  to  100  days,  according  to  the  pro- 
cess employed. 

Assorting,  stripping,  bulking  and  packing,  then  follow. 

Tobacco  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  country  producing 
it.  In  this  country  it  can  be  raised  from  the  Gulf  to  the 
Great  Takes. 

The  yield  per  acre  ranges  from  600  to  1,000  pounds. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


227 


The  raising  of  tobacco  soon  impoverishes  any  other  than 
a very  rich  soil. 

What  are  the  medicinal  effects  of  tobacco  upon  the  body  ? 

What  common  plants  belong  to  the  same  family  ? 

Under  what  different  names  and  forms  is  tobacco  sold  ? 

What  diseases  are  produced  by  the  excessive  use  of 
tobacco  ? 

Which  is  less  injurious, smoking  or  chewing? 

What  was  the  Connecticut  Blue  Law  concerning  tobacco? 

LOUISVILLE. 

Louisville,  the  metropolis  of  Kentucky,  is  situated  on 
the  Ohio  River,  150  miles  below  Cincinnati.  The  so-called 
falls  of  the  Ohio  are  here,  but  they  are  simply  a series  of 
rapids. 

The  fall  of  the  river  is  27  feet  in  a little  over  2 miles. 

But  little  use  is  made  of  the  water  power. 

The  Louisville  and  Portland  canal  is  2 miles  long,  and  is 
on  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  river.  The  canal  has  three 
locks  and  is  capable  of  passing  steamboats  of  3,000  tons 
burden. 

Since  1874,  the  United  States  government  controls  the 
canal,  making  it  free  to  commerce  except  a small  toll  to 
keep  up  repairs. 

Louisville  rests  on  a plain  with  the  hills  for  a background, 
and  the  Ohio  River  flowing  rapidly  in  front. 

This  city  is  the  largest  tobacco  market  in  the  world. 


228 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  pork- packing,  whisky  distilleries,  the  tanneries 
and  iron  industries  are  all  extensive. 

Louisville  is  noted  for  its  schools,  especially  its  medical 
colleges.  The  public  library  of  Kentucky  has  over  30,000 
volumes,  and  a museum  and  natural  history  department  of 
100,000  specimens. 

The  population  is  over  161,000  (1890). 

Louisville  was  named  after  Louis  XIV,  king  of  France. 

At  Louisville  begin  the  double  graves  of  the  late  war,  the 
Confederate  soldiers  on  one  side,  the  Federals  on  the  other. 

Here  there  will  be  two  Decoration  Days,  until  coming 
generations  will  lay  wreaths  upon  all  graves  alike. 

LEXINGTON. 

The  early  pioneers  were  laying  out  this  town  when  they 
heard  of  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington  of  Revolu- 
tionary fame,  so  they  named  the  town  Lexington. 

This  town  is  a handsome  city,  surrounded  by  a fertile 
country  of  great  beauty.  It  is  20  miles  distant  from  Frank- 
fort  and  is  in  the  center  of  the  famous  Blue  Grass  Country. 
Lexington  is  especially  famous  for  its  celebrated  race 
horses  and  “Bourbon”  whisky.  Near  by  is  Ashland,  the 
conntry  home  of  Henry  Clay.  The  cemetery  contains  a 
$50,000  monument  in  memory  of  the  Great  Pacificator. 
The  manufacturing  interests  are  important,  the  city  has  a 
number  of  noted  schools  and  several  state  institutions.  It 
was  once  the  capital  of  Kentucky. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


229 


KENTUCKY  RIVER. 

This  river  rises  in  the  Cumberland  Mountains  and 
flows  northwest  about  250  miles  into  the  Ohio.  The 
river  seems  to  have  worn  itself  through  limestone 
rocks,  which  rise  in  perpendicular  cliffs  on  either  side. 
The  scenery  is  picturesque.  The  Kentucky  has  no  impor- 
tant branches. 

By  means  of  locks  and  dams,  steamboats  can  navigate 
one- third  its  length. 

Excellent  coal,  iron  and  marble  are  found  along  its 
banks. 

SINK  HOLES. 

The  ‘ ‘ Sink  Holes  * ’ of  this  state  are  cavities  in  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  commonly  in  the  shape  of  inverted  cones, 
sixty  or  seventy  feet  in  depth  and  from  sixty  to  two  hun- 
dred feet  in  circumference  at  the  top. 

The  ear  can  often  detect  the  sound  of  water  flowing 
beneath. 


Mich  “ The  Lake  State. 


230 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


MICHIGAN. 


'Location. 


Comparative  size. 


Bays. 


Green. 

Saginaw. 


Strait  of  Mackinaw. 

( Superior. 

I Michigan. 
Lakes.  { Huron. 

I St.  Clair. 
[Erie. 


- Rivers. 


Islands. 


CO 

00 


Cities. 


Products. 


' Grand. 

Detroit. 

St.  Clair. 
c Sault  St.  Marie. 

| Mackinac, 
j Beaver. 

" Detroit. 

Dansing. 

< Grand  Rapids. 
Bay  City. 
w Saginaw. 

f Animals. 

1 Vegetables. 
Minerals. 
Manufactures. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

310.  Ann  Arbor. 

31 1.  Pictured  Rocks. 

312.  Gem  of  the  Straits. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


231 


313.  Sand  dunes. 

314.  “ Peninsula  State/ * 

315.  Gibraltar  of  the  Lakes. 

316.  “The  Pocahontas  of  the  West. 

317.  The  Fruit  Belt. 

318.  The  Sail  Rock. 

319.  The  Grand  Portal. 

320.  Educational  System. 

321.  Peat  deposits. 


QUERIES. 

356.  What  portion  of  the  Lakes  does  the  United  States 
own  ? 

357.  Which  city  contains  the  largest  medical  and  surgi- 
cal sanitarium  in  the  world? 

358.  What  Indians  still  live  in  Michigan  ? 

359.  Which  peninsula  excels  in  agriculture  ? In  minerals  ? 

360.  What  does  the  motto  of  Michigan  mean  ? 

361.  What  canals  in  Michigan  ? 

362.  Where  are  the  salt  wells  located  ? 

363.  For  what  vegetable  production  is  Kalamazoo  noted? 

364.  Where  is  the  most  noted  summer  resort  in  Michigan  ? 

365.  For  what  is  Ypsilanti  noted  ? 

366.  Name  the  forest  products  of  Michigan. 

367.  Where  is  Michigan  City  ? 

368.  How  do  vessels  pass  to  and  from  Lake  Superior. 


232 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

Michigan  excels  all  other  States  in  producing  lumber 
and  salt. 

An  excellent  and  sure  crop  of  apples  and  peaches  is  pro- 
duced yearly  in  Michigan.  On  account  of  the  modifying 
influence  of  the  lakes,  the  climate  is  more  mild  and  equable 
than  in  the  neighboring  States. 

The  first  European  settlement  was  made  by  Father  Mar- 
quette, atSault  St.  Marie,  in  1668. 

In  1858,  James  D.  Graham  of  Chicago,  proved  the  exist- 
ence of  a lunar  tidal  wave  on  the  lakes. 

The  spring  tides  gave  a difference  of  three  inches. 

Near  Thunder  Bay,  stone  is  quarried  which  makes  excel- 
lent grindstones. 

Michigan  is  second  in  extent  of  coast  line. 

Which  State  has  the  most? 

DETROIT* 

Detroit,  the  metropolis  of  Michigan,  and  the  best  harbor 
on  the  great  lakes,  is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Detroit  River. 

This  city  has  a river  frontage  of  over  seven  miles,  the  en- 
tire distance  of  which  is  crowded  with  warehouses,  eleva- 
tors, ship-yards,  dry-docks  mills,  foundries,  factories,  and 
other  business  buildings. 

A boulevard  in  the  form  of  a crescent,  nine  miles  long  and 
150  feet  wide,  surrounds  the  city. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


233 


Fort  Wayne,  just  below  the  city,  commands  the  strait  and 
defends  the  city.  The  principal  park  is  called  the  “ Grand 
Circus/ ’ from  which  the  avenues  radiate. 

In  1886,  twelve  lines  of  railroads  centered  here,  and  steam- 
boat lines  run  to  most  of  the  lake  ports.  Detroit  is  one  of 
the  important  lumber  markets,  and  “the  largest  center  in 
the  world  for  stoves,  railroad  cars,  emery  wheels  and  phar- 
maceutical supplies.  ” 

There  are  many  fine  buildings  here.  The  French  first 
visited  this  region  in  1670. 

In  1701,  Cadillac  founded  Detroit.  The  Griffin , under 
LaSalle,  sailed  to  the  entrance  of  the  Detroit  River.  Here 
stood  an  Indian  village  of  unknown  date,  where  now  stands 
the  City  of  the  Strait.  This  region  is  rich  in  Indian  legends 
and  lore.  Detroit  brings  to  our  remembrance  Pontiac,  Hull, 
River  Raisin,  and  other  historic  persons  and  scenes.  It  has 
been  the  scene  of  4 ‘ one  surrender,  fifty  pitched  battles,  and 
twelve  massacres/  * 

SALT  MANUFACTURE. 

Michigan  leads  all  other  States  in  the  manufacture  of  salt, 
and  a few  words  of  how  it  is  made  will  not  be  out  of  place. 

There  are  several  ways  by  which  the  salt  may  be  separ- 
ated from  the  water,  which  holds  it  in  solution. 

Evaporation  is  performed  by  the  heat  of  the  sun  in  the 
warm  countries,  and  hot  seasons  in  the  temperate  regions. 
Evaporation  is  by  artificial  heat,  commonly  known  as  boiling. 


234 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Evaporation,  by  condensation,  by  which  the  ice  formed  is 
nearly  pure  water,  and  the  brine  remaining  is  finished  by 
boiling. 

Northern  Europe  uses  the  last  method,  and  the  United 
States  the  first  and  second. 

The  brine  is  pumped  into  shallow  vats,  when  the  design 
is  to  remove  impurities,  such  as  iron,  carbonic  acid,  sulphate 
of  lime,  and  several  chlorides. 

The  vats  are  protected  by  large  movable  covers.  The 
evaporation  is  performed  very  slowly,  hence  the  crystals  are 
larger,  or  ‘ ‘ coarse  salt  ’ ’ is  formed. 

Fine  table  salt  is  obtained  by  boiling  in  kettles  and  pans, 
or  by  the  steam  process. 

The  kettles  and  pans  are  placed  in  long  rows,  under  which 
fire  is  introduced,  hence  the  evaporation  is  very  rapid,  and 
the  salt  requires  removing  continually. 

The  steam  process  consists  of  steam  pipes  running  through 
large  wooden  vats  or  cisterns,  otherwise  the  process  is  the 
same.  The  finest  salt  in  the  United  States  is  obtained  from 
Michigan,  Onondaga,  N.  Y.,  and  Ohio  and  Kanawha  Salt 
Companies.  25  to  30  gallons  of  water  produces  one  bushel 
of  salt  at  Saginaw,  Michigan. 

This  is  the  strongest  brine  known  in  United  States.  Fuel 
being  near  and  cheap,  it  is  readily  seen  why  Michigan  stands 
at  the  head  of  the  salt  manufacture. 

BENTON  HARBOR. 

Benton  Harbor  is  the  chief  shipping  station  of  domestic 
fruits  in  Michigan.  One  steamer  once  carried  off  16,000 


WESTERN  STATES. 


235 


crates  of  berries  for  a load.  Canning  factories,  cider,  vine- 
gar and  pickle  factories  are  located  here. 

Some  of  the  best  wood-working  machinery  is  produced 
in  works  which  have  been  moved  from  Grand  Rapids. 

ST.  CLAIR  TUNNEL. 

The  immense  amount  of  railroad  business  over  the  Grand 
Trunk  and  other  connecting  lines,  made  it  necessary  to  pro- 
vide other  means  of  transportation  besides  the  steam  ferries. 
Over  500  cars  were  ferried  daily.  At  length  it  was  deter- 
mined to  construct  a tunnel  from  Port  Huron  on  the 
American  side,  to  Sarnia  in  Canada.  The  company  was 
formed  in  1886,  and  the  tunnel  was  completed  September, 
1891. 

The  tunnel  is  6,800  feet  long,  and  circular  in  form,  having 
a diameter  of  20  feet.  The  bed  of  the  *unnel  is  15  feet  be- 
low the  bed  of  the  river,  or  66  feet  below  water  level.  It 
cost  $2,500,000. 

COPPER. 

The  southern  shores  of  Lake  Superior  abound  in  native 
copper,  the  purest  and  most  abundant  in  the  United  States. 

The  rock  is  first  crushed,  then  washed,  when  it  is  nearly 
in  a pure  state.  It  needs  only  to  be  smelted  to  make  ingot 
copper. 

Michigan  has  more  copper  mines  than  all  the  rest  of  the 
states  of  United  States. 

Some  of  the  mines  had  been  worked  long  ago  by  people 
who  had  stone  implements  with  which  to  work. 


236 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


MARQUETTE. 

Marquette  is  an  important  shipping  point  on  the  northern 
peninsula.  The  leading  industry  is  handling  iron  ore.  This 
place  is  a noted  summer  resort,  and  celebrated  for  its  fine 
fishing. 

Presque  Isle  is  one  of  the  finest  natural  parks  in  the  West. 

Congress  presented  the  island  to  the  city  of  Marquette. 

Electric  light  is  furnished  by  the  water  power  from  Dead 
River,  several  miles  distant. 


WISCONSIN. 


oj  - 
+->  - 
CO  to 


So  bp 

c3  $ 

pq  « 


• rH 

£ 


oo 

00 


Eocation. 


Comparative  size. 
Green  Bay. 


Takes. 


< Rivers. 


Cities. 


Products. 


{Superior. 
Michigan. 
Winnebago. 
Pepin. 

r Mississippi. 
St.  Croix. 

J Wisconsin. 

* Rock. 

Fox. 

c Menominee. 

r Milwaukee. 
Madison. 

- Oshkosh. 
Racine. 
c EaCrosse. 

{Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


237 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

322.  Cream  Colored  City. 

323.  The  Dalles. 

324.  Height  of  Land. 

325.  Mound  Builders. 

326.  Lead  Region. 

327.  The  State  Park. 

328.  Winnebago  Marsh. 

329.  Hop  Culture. 

330.  Lumber  Camps. 

331.  Eye  of  the  Northwest. 

332.  The  Lake  City. 

333.  Maiden  Rock. 

QUERIES. 

369.  Which  city  manufactures  the  most  threshing  ma- 
chines ? 

370.  What  does  “ Wisconsin n mean? 

371.  What  Indian  war  partly  occurred  in  this  State  ? 

372.  What  names  in  Wisconsin  suggest  a French  origin  ? 

373.  Which  is  the  deepest  of  the  Great  Lakes  ? 

374.  Name  ten  ports  on  the  Great  Lakes,  and  tell  some- 
thing noted  of  each. 

375.  How  can  you  account  for  so  many  small  lakes  in 
these  Northern  States  ? 

376.  What  noted  group  of  islands  in  Lake  Superior  ? 

377.  Iii  what  vegetable  production  does  Wisconsin  excel  ? 


238 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


378.  What  town  of  Wisconsin  manufactures  a great  many 
ships  ? 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

MILWAUKEE. 

Milwaukee,  the  metropolis  and  chief  port  of  entry  of 
Wisconsin,  is  on  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  about 
85  miles  north  of  Chicago.  The  harbor,  naturally  one  of 
the  best  on  the  lake,  has  been  improved  by  the  Government 
building  a breakwater,  costing  $1,000,000. 

The  copper  and  iron  mines,  not  far  distant,  have  done 
much  toward  making  Milwaukee  a great  manufacturing  city. 
The  city  is  celebrated  for  the  great  quantities  of  lager  beer, 
which  finds  a market  all  over  the  Union.  $4,000,000  are 
invested  in  that  branch  of  industry  alone.  The  lumber  and 
grain  interests  are  extensive.  Vast  iron  mills  and  large 
leather  factories  are  here  located. 

Near  here  is  located  the  National  Northwestern  Soldiers* 
Asylum  for  disabled  veterans.  These  buildings  are  sur- 
rounded by  425  acres  of  land,  one-half  of  which  is  under 
cultivation,  the  remainder  forms  a beautiful  park. 

One  of  the  State  Normal  schools  is  here.  There  are  many 
fine  buildings  in  Milwaukee,  among  which  are  the  Postoffice 
and  Custom  House,  County  Court  House,  Board  of  Trade 
Building,  Masonic  Temple,  railroad  depots,  churches, 
schools,  etc. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


239 


ASHLAND. 

Ashland  is  noted  particularly  for  its  lumber  interests,  and 
as  a shipping  port  for  iron  ore. 

Here  is  found  the  largest  charcoal  blast  furnace  known ; 
the  output  is  ioo  tons  daily.  In  1890,  the  saw  mills  cut 
138,000,000  feet  of  lumber,  besides  laths  and  shingles. 

This  city  has  many  attractions  for  summer  tourists. 

The  Apostle  Islands  are  favorite  resorts  for  excursionists. 

On  one  of  these  islands  John  Jacob  Astor  established  a fur 
trading  post,  and  the  dock  still  stands. 

The  Pierre  Marquette  Mission,  of  1669,  is  still  in  a good 
state  of  preservation. 

SUPERIOR. 

Superior,  one  of  the  cities  whose  recent  growth  is  phe- 
nomenal, is  very  advantageously  located,  near  the  west  end 
of  Take  Superior.  The  city  has  three  deep  and  safe  har- 
bors, and  is  the  center  of  seven  great  systems  of  railroads. 

Manufacturing  and  commerce  combine  to  make  Superior 
prosperous. 

It  grew  from  a hamlet  of  a hundred  inhabitants  in  1885, 
to  a bustling  city  of  over  20,000,  in  1890. 

MADISON. 

Madison,  capital  of  Wisconsin,  and  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tifully located  cities  in  America,  is  built  upon  an  isthmus, 
about  three  miles  in  length  and  one  mile  wide,  lying  be- 
tween Lakes  Mendota  and  Menona. 


240 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Besides  being  the  capital,  it  is  noted  for  its  commerce  and 
its  educational  advantages. 

Among  the  important  institutions  are  the  University  of 
Wisconsin,  Soldiers’  Orphans’  Home,  and  Asylum  for  the 
insane. 

CHIPPEWA  FALLS. 

Chippewa  Falls,  beautifully  situated  on  both  sides  of  the 
Chippewa  River,  takes  its  name  from  the  falls  in  the  river. 
The  falls  are  about  25  feet  in  height,  and  furnish  power  that 
is  used  in  manufacturing. 

The  principal  industry  is  the  manufacture  of  lumber, 
shingles,  lath,  etc. 

One  of  the  largest  saw  mills  in  the  world  is  located  at 
this  place. 

The  water  with  which  the  city  is  supplied  comes  from  a 
spring  that  issues  from  a rock.  The  water  is  very  nearly 
pure;  it  contains  less  than  one  per  cent,  of  impurities. 

EAU  CLAIRE. 

Eau  Claire,  situated  at  the  confluence  of  the  Eau  Claire 
and  Chippewa  rivers,  is  one  of  the  greatest  lumber  manu- 
facturing cities  of  the  United  States. 

Besides  lumber,  furniture,  paper,  ice  and  electrical  ap- 
pliances are  made  here.  It  has  a healthful  location. 

RACINE. 

Racine  is  located  on  the  west  shore  of  Lake  Michigan, 
has  an  excellent  harbor  and  good  railroad  facilities. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


241 


Manufacturing  is  the  leading  industry.  Farming  imple- 
ments of  various  kinds,  and  engines,  are  the  principal  articles 
of  export. 

It  is  the  seat  of  the  University  of  the  Northwest. 

PRAIRIE  DU  CHIEN. 

Prairie  du  Chien,  one  of  the  oldest  towns  of  Wisconsin, 
is  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi  River,  a short  distance 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  River. 

It  is  built  upon  the  former  site  of  Fort  Crawford.  It  was  at 
this  fort  that  Jefferson  Davis  won  the  heart  of  Noxie  Taylor, 
the  daughter  of  Zachary  Taylor.  The  story  is  that  ‘ ‘ Old 
Rough  and  Ready”  opposed  the  match,  and  that,  as  the 
daughter  had  inherited  some  of  the  independent  spirit  of 
her  father,  an  elopement  preceded  the  marriage. 


Minn.  “ Gopher  State. 

1858.  “Gophers.” 


242 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


MINNESOTA. 


Location. 

Comparative  size. 

f Superior. 


Lakes. 


Rivers. 


J Rainy. 

] Woods. 

Itasca. 

f Mississippi. 

I St.  Croix. 

<{  Minnesota. 

| Des  Moines. 

[ Red  River  of  the  North. 

Height  of  Land. 

St.  Paul. 

Minneapolis. 

Duluth. 

Red  Wing. 

Winona. 


Cities. 


Products. 


{Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

334.  The  Diadem  City. 

335.  St.  Anthony’s  Falls. 

336.  Minnehaha  Falls. 

337.  The  Zenith  City. 

338.  The  Twin  Cities  of  the  West. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


243 


339.  The  Big  Woods. 

340.  Fountain  Cave. 

341.  The  Ice  Palace. 

342.  Indian  Reservations. 

343.  Itasca  State  Park. 

344.  The  Gateway  of  the  East. 

4 QUERIES. 

379.  Who  first  explored  the  upper  Mississippi  River  ? 

380.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  Mmnesota ? Minne- 
haha? Minneapolis? 

381.  What  is  the  origin  of  the  word  Itasca? 

382.  What  is  the  latitude  of  the  most  northern  portion  of 
Minnesota  ? 

383.  What  is  the  straightest  river,  of  its  size,  in  the  United 
States? 

384.  The  scene  of  what  famous  poem  is  located  princi- 
pally in  Minnesota  ? 

385.  What  lake  is  now  considered  the  source  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  ? 

386.  What  State  once  offered  $200  a piece,  for  Indian 
scalps?  When? 

387.  What  lines  of  steamboat  navigation  begin  in  Minne- 
sota? 

388.  What  kind  of  engines  are  used  in  street  car  service 
of  Minneapolis? 

389.  Does  the  destruction  of  the  forests  affect  the  climate? 


244 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

SAINT  PAUL. 

Saint  Paul,  the  capital  of  Minnesota,  has  a beautiful  loca- 
tion upon  several  terraces,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  2,200  miles  above  its  mouth.  It  is  devoted  to 
both  manufacturing  and  commerce,  and  has  grown  very 
rapidly  within  the  past  few  years. 

It  is  at  the  head  of  steamboat  navigation,  for  large  boats. 

Its  water  supply  comes  from  Take  Phalen,  three  miles  dis- 
tant. 

LAKE  MINNETONKA. 

Take  Minnetonka  is  a popular  summer  resort,  about  1 2 
miles  southwest  of  Minneapolis. 

Numerous  cottages  and  several  immense  hotels  line  the 
chores,  for  the  accommodation  of  seekers  for  health  and 
recreation.  The  lake  is  about  1 5 miles  long,  has  many 
beautiful  bays,  and  is  well  furnished  with  all  kinds  of  pleas- 
ure boats. 

MINNEAPOLIS. 

Minneapolis,  the  largest  city  of  Minnesota,  lies  fourteen 
miles,  by  the  river,  or  eight  miles  in  a direct  line,  west  of 
St.  Paul. 

It  has  had  a phenomenally  rapid  growth  during  its  recent 
history. 

The  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  at  this  place  furnish  an  im- 
mense amount  of  water  power.  This  is  utilized  by  many 
mills  and  factories.  It  manufactures  more  flour  than  any 
other  city  in  the  United  States. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


245 


The  “A” 'mill,  of  Pillsbury’s,  is  the  largest  in  the  world, 
and  has  a daily  capacity  of  7,000  barrels. 

Another  great  industry  of  Minneapolis  is  the  manufacture 
of  lumber  and  the  various  products  of  the  planing  mills. 

Over  half  the  lumber  product  of  Minnesota  is  turned  out 
by  the  saw  mills  of  Minneapolis.  For  this  reason  it  is  some- 
times called  the  ‘'Sawdust  City,” 

WINONA. 

Winona,  one  of  the  greatest  lumber  manufacturing  cities 
of  the  United  States,  is  pleasantly  located  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Mississippi  River. 

The  other  important  manufactures  are  flour,  vehicles  and 
farming  implements. 

A large  and  prosperous  State  Normal  school  is  located  in 
Winona. 


MANKATO. 

This  town,  the  largest  cit}^  of  southern  central  Minnesota, 
has  a picturesque  location  at  the  big  bend  of  the  Minnesota 
River.  It  is  in  the  center  of  a very  rich  country,  and  is 
engaged  largely  in  manufacturing  and  commerce. 

It  is  the  seat  of  one  of  the  State  Normal  schools. 

It  was  at  this  place  that  thirty-eight  of  the  savages 
engaged  in  the  Sioux  War  of  1863  were  executed  at  one 
time. 


246 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


TOWER. 

Tower,  devoted  at  present  wholly  to  mining  iron  ore,  is 
located  on  the  south  shore  of  Vermilion  Lake.  This  lake 
gets  its  name  from  its  appearance  at  sunset.  The  hills  sur- 
rounding the  lake  contain  almost  inexhaustible  mines  of 
the  purest  magnetic  iron  ore  yet  found  anywhere.  The  vein 
varies  in  thickness  from  25  to  125  feet. 

The  ore  is  shipped  to  Chicago,  Pittsburg,  and  other  east- 
ern cities  to  be  used  in  manufacturing  iron  ware  of  various 
kinds. 


TWO  HARBORS. 

This  town,  important  as  one  of  the  principal  shipping 
points  for  the  immense  quantities  of  iron  ore  and  timber 
produced  in  this  section  of  the  State,  is  located  on  Lake  Su- 
perior, about  twenty-seven  miles  north  of  Duluth.  It  has 
also  some  note  as  a summer  resort. 

DULUTH. 

Duluth,  the  third  city  in  size  in  Minnesota,  is  advantage- 
ously located  for  commerce  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior. 
It  is  near  vast  supplies  of  timber  and  mineral  wealth, 
and  forms  the  natural  outlet  for  the  vast  grain  fields  of  the 
northwest. 

It  has  a good  harbor,  that  is  capable  of  accommodating 
the  largest  vessels.  Its  growth  within  the  past  few  years 
has  been  remarkable. 


\ 


WESTERN  STATES. 


247 


THE  MINOR  LAKES. 

The  minor  lakes  region  of  the  United  States  lies  principally 
in  the  states  of  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin.  It  is  estimated 
that  fully  one-sixth  of  the  lake  surface  of  the  United  States 
is  found  here,  and  good  authorities  estimate  the  number  at 
about  12,000. 

Within  25  miles  of  Minneapolis  there  are  200  lakes,  and 
within  the  great  pine  forests  are  countless  numbers  yet  un- 
explored. In  Minneapolis  this  region  bears  the  name  of 
“Park  Region.’ ’ The  whole  area  is  a gigantic  reservoir 
system,  preventing  floods  and  supplying  water  in  the  drier 
periods  for  the  navigation  of  the  Upper  Mississippi. 

These  water  courses  help  to  convey  the  logs  from  the 
lumber  camps  to  the  saw  mills,  miles  away.  The  hunting, 
the  fishing  and  the  scenery  is  all  that  could  be  desired. 
The  lakes  temper  the  cold  of  winter  and  modify  the  heat  of 
summer. 

THE  PIPESTONE  QUARRY. 

Catlin  was  the  first  white  man  to  explore  the  place  which 
the  poet  describes,  thus  : 

On  the  Mountains  of  the  Prairie, 

On  the  great  Red  Pipestone  Quarry, 

Gitche  Manito,  the  Mighty, 

He,  the  Master  of  Life,  descending 
On  the  red  crags  of  the  Quarry, 

Stood  erect,  and  called  the  Nations, 

Called  the  tribes  of  men  together. 


248 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  Quarry  is  something  over  one  mile  from  the  town  of 
Pipestone,  Minneapolis.  This  locality  is  of  interest  to  the 
geologist  on  account  of  a rock  formation  which  is  found  no- 
where else  ; to  the  historian  for  its  romance  and  legends  ; to 
the  red  men  as  a spiritual  shrine  to  which  they  make  yearly 
pilgrimages.  The  stone  when  first  taken  from  the  quarry 
is  very  soft  and  easily  carved  into  curious  shapes.  It  after- 
wards hardens  rapidly. 

There  are  evidences  that  the  Mound  Builders  knew  of 
and  visited  this  region.  The  open  quarry  is  an  excavation 
of  perhaps  sixty  feet  across  and  fifteen  or  eighteen  feet  deep. 
Fragments  of  the  pipestone  lie  strewn  about  on  every  side. 
The  Indians  select  the  choicest  pieces  of  stone  for  working, 
discarding  all  that  have  hardened  and  all  that  are  of  an 
undesirable  color.  It  is  their  inherited  belief  that  the  stone 
is  composed  of  the  blood  of  Indians  ; and  when  a streak  of  a 
lighter  color  appears  they  cast  the  stone  aside,  believing  it 
to  be  a white  man’s  blood,  which  no  good  Indian  is  allowed 
to  use.  Having  selected  his  several  pieces  of  pipestone,  the 
dusky  artist  seats  himself  cross-legged  on  the  ground  before 
his  tent,  and  proceeds  to  carve  them  into  the  desired  articles. 
The  one  thing  which  he  most  delights  to  make  is  a calumet, 
shaped  to  represent  a tomahawk.  It  is  graceful  in  design, 
nicely  carved  and  artistically  ornamented.  There  are  many 
forms  of  pipes  and  other  articles,  novelties — any  thing  in 
fact  that  would  make  a suitable  memento  of  the  place  ; for 
the  Indians  are  shrewd  on  this  point  and  carry  on  a thriving 
trade  with  tourists  and  curiosity-seekers. 


S.  Dak.  “ Land  of  the  White  Rabbit. 

1889.  “ Coyotes.’ ’ 


WESTERN  STATES. 


249 


SOUTH  DAKOTA. 


Boundary. 

Area. 

Population 

Lakes. 

Rivers. 

Mountains. 

Cities. 

Products. 


J White. 

(Red. 

| Stone. 

( Traverse. 

f Missouri. 

)Big  Sioux. 

Dakota. 

Cheyenne. 

| Black  Hills, 
j Plateau  of  the  Missouri. 

"Sioux  Falls. 

Pierre. 

Yankton. 
v Deadwood. 

{Animal. 

Vegetable. 

Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

345.  The  Big  Muddy. 

346.  The  Big  Bend. 

347.  Hot  Springs. 

348.  Buffalo  Wallows. 

349.  Newport  of  the  West. 


250 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


350.  The  Bad  Rands. 

351.  The  Mother  City  of  Dakota. 

352.  The  Great  Sioux  Reservation 

353.  The  Pirates  of  the  Missouri. 

354.  Prairie  Fires. 

355.  Chinook  Winds. 

356.  Hot  Winds. 

357.  The  Gate  City  of  the  Hills. 


QUERIES. 

390.  Can  you  pronounce  Missouri  ? Coyote? 

391.  Which  city  is  nearly  one  mile  above  the  sea  level  ? 

392.  What  is  an  artesian  well  ? 

393.  How  is  it  proposed  to  irrigate  South  Dakota  ? 

394.  Where  are  the  richest  tin  mines  in  America  ? 

395.  How  have  railroads  helped  in  settlement  ? 

396.  Mention  some  of  the  hardships  the  early  settlers  had 
to  endure. 

397.  Where  are  the  trade  centers  through  which  Dakota’s 
imports  and  exports  pass  ? 

398.  What  was  the  Timber  Culture  Act  ? Why  was  it 
repealed  ? 

399.  What  river  furnishes  the  best  water  power  in  this 
State? 

400.  Why  are  the  prairies  treeless  ? 

401.  Why  does  the  snow  melt  under  a northwest  wind  ? 


WESTERN  STATES. 


251 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

SIOUX  FALLS. 

Sioux  Falls,  the  metropolis  of  South  Dakota,  is  situated 
on  the  Big  Sioux  River.  The  quarries  here  furnish  the 
most  important  business,  next  to  mining.  The  granite  is 
of  various  colors,  and  is  capable  of  a high  polish.  Many 
public  buildings  are  built  from  the  material  obtained  here. 
Sioux  Falls  is  the  seat  of  the  State  penitentiary,  the  School 
for  Deaf  Mutes,  and  of  four  sectarian  colleges.  The  river 
descends  go  feet  in  the  distance  of  one-half  mile,  thus  afford- 
ing abundant  water  power.  The  Dells  and  Palisades  along 
the  Sioux  River  are  beautiful  to  behold.  Sioux  Falls  has  a 
variety  of  industries  of  minor  importance. 

The  polishing  works  here  use  car  load  after  car  load  of  the 
petrified  wood  of  Arizona  for  making  monuments  and  orna- 
ments of  different  kinds. 

BLACK  HILLS. 

These  hills  are  located  in  the  southwest  corner  of  South 
Dakota  and  extend  into  Wyoming.  They  occupy  an  area 
of  sixty  by  ninety  miles. 

Harney’s  Peak  is  the  highest  point.  Crook’s  Tower  is 
nearly  as  high. 

The  hills  are  surrounded  by  a wall  of  sand-stone,  inside  of 
which  is  the  “Race  Course”  of  the  Indians.  Near  the 
south  side  are  the  famous  Hot  Springs,  called  by  the  Indians 


252 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Minne-kali-ta.  Not  far  distant  is  a cave  which  will  claim 
equal  laurels  with  the  most  noted  in  our  land. 

Dead  City  contains  the  largest  stamp  mills  in  the  world. 

Rapid  City  is  the  seat  of  the  Dakota  School  of  Mines. 

Deadwood  is  in  the  center  of  the  mining  district,  and  is 
so  called  on  account  of  the  dead  trees  which  were  destroyed 
by  fires. 

Deadwood  is  built  on  the  side  of  a gulch,  or  rather  several 
gulches,  and  the  business  that  supports  the  town  is  per- 
formed outside,  in  the  mining  camps.  Spearfish,  in  the  Black 
Hills,  is  the  seat  of  a Normal  School. 

The  minerals  of  this  region  are  tin,  gold,  silver,  lead,  cop- 
per, mica,  gypsum,  coal  and  stone.  The  Indians  believed 
the  Hills  to  be  the  abode  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  that  the 
springs  possessed  great  curative  properties. 

Half  a century  ago,  the  Sioux  and  Cheyenne  Indians 
fought  for  the  possession  of  this  region  at  a place  called 
Battle  Mountain. 

The  Sioux  were  victorious. 

CAVE  OF  THEiWINDS. 

This  cave  is  twelve  miles  north  of  the  Hot  Springs.  It 
was  found  by  a cowboy  in  1884,  but  not  explored  until  1890. 
The  temperature  in  the  cave  stands  at  450  Fahr.  The 
entrance  was  blasted  and  the  cave  has  been  explored  for 
several  miles. 

A thousand  chambers  have  been  discovered,  the  largest 
of  which  is  about  three  acres  in  extent.  The  stalactite  form- 


WESTERN  STATES. 


253 


ations  are  beautiful,  and  the  owners  are  careful  to  preserve 
the  grandeur  of  the  cave. 

TIN  MINES. 

For  several  years  past  a company  of  men  have  silently 
bought  all  the  available  tin  mines  in  the  vicinity  of  Harney’s 
Peak.  Their  capital  consists  of  $15,000,000.  One  of  the 
officers  reports  as  follows  : 

“The  company,  of  which  I am  chairman,  and  in  which 
American  capitalists  are  equally  interested,  have  built  two 
of  the  largest  and  most  thoroughly  equipped  mills  in  the 
world. 

“They  have  a capacity  of  producing  500  tons  of  tin  daily. 
In  two  years  hence  this  country  need  not  import  any  more 
tin,  and  the  production  will  save  $75,000,000  annually. 

“The  mills  expect  to  begin  work  by  October  1,  1892.” 

Hill  City  is  the  center  of  the  tin  mines. 

THE  WOONSOCKET  WELL. 

At  Woonsocket  there  is  an  artesian  well  725  feet  deep, 
which  discharges  8,000  gallons  of  water  per  minute.  There 
is  a pressure  of  153  lbs.  to  the  square  inch,  and  it  throws  a 
four-inch  stream  70  feet  high,  or  a two-inch  stream  200  feet 
high.  It  is  used  for  domestic  purposes,  and  also  supplies 
the  fire  department  with  water. 

It  is  said  that  this  well  exceeds  in  power  and  volume  any 
other  well  in  the  world. 


254 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


A DAKOTA  BLIZZARD. 

A genuine  blizzard  is  a storm  of  fine  sleet  accompanied  by 
a fierce  gale  and  freezing  temperature.  It  usually  follows  a 
warm  day,  and  the  change  comes  very  quickly.  The  frost 
begins  to  fly,  the  mercury  falls  below  zero,  the  snow  on  the 
ground  begins  to  move  with  a swishing  sound,  until  all  the 
snow  seems  to  be  in  the  air. 

The  stinging,  blinding  sleet  and  the  deadly  cold  wave  com- 
bine to  make  it  nearly  impossible  to  find  the  best  known 
paths. 

All  this  may  seem  incredible  to  those  who  never  were  in 
such  a storm.  It  is  impossible  to  convey  its  grim  horrors  in 
words;  it  is  impossible  to  realize  that  men  could  get  lost  in 
going  fifty  feet,  with  houses  all  round,  but  they  were. 

A blizzard  is  something  terrible;  it  is  something,  which  if 
once  experienced,  is  never  forgotten.  No  man  wants  to  see 
one  twice. 

The  following  is  an  account  of  the  author’s  experience  in 
the  great  blizzard  of  January  12,  1 888,  in  South  Dakota 

January  11,  it  snowed  two  or  three  inches  of  light,  fluffy 
snow.  The  morning  of  the  12th  there  was  a light  wind 
from  the  south,  with  a dull,  hazy,  obscure  atmosphere.  A 
double  ring  was  plainly  visible  around  the  sun.  We  saw  the 
storm  working  up  against  the  wind,  and  all  the  children 
reached  school  before  it  broke  upon  us.  The  wind  suddenly 
shifted  to  the  northwest,  and  in  an  instant  we  were  in  the 
midst  of  a fierce  blinding  storm  of  snow  and  sleet.  The 


WESTERN  STATES. 


255 


wind  blew  the  snow  in  under  the  door,  up  from  the  floor,  in 
the  windows  and  even  down  from  above,  and  it  was  only  by 
careful  attention  that  the  room  was  kept  barely  comfortable. 

Noon  came — no  abatement. 

The  coal  house  was  just  back  of  the  school-house  and 
open  enough  to  drift  full  of  snow. 

The  noontime  was  spent  in  shoveling  out  the  coal  for  the 
the  afternoon.  Recess — the  gale  increased,  if  anything. 

Night  came — the  storm  furies  still  held  sway,  and  we 
came  to  the  conclusion  to  .stay  in  the  school-house  all  night. 

Enough  coal  to  last  all  night  was  brought  in  and  piled  in 
the  corner  of  the  room. 

The  teacher  went  to  the  neighbor’ s,  about  1 50  yards  off,  to 
see  what  arrangements  could  be  made  for  food  and  other 
accommodations.  The  neighbor  offered  to  keep  the  girls  all 
night  if  they  could  get  there  and  with  numerous  wraps  the 
teacher  started  back  to  the  school-house. 

The  teacher  traveled  by  guess  for  seeing  was  out  of  the 
question,  and  the  wind  was  no  guide — shifting  and  deceit- 
ful as  the  Will-o’-the-wisp. 

The  school-house  was  reached  again  without  mishap,  the 
girls  warmed  and  carefully  wrapped,  then,  hand  in  hand,  we 
started  for  the  house.  The  teacher  led  the  way,  the  others 
following  as  before  stated.  Half  way  over,  the  teacher 
turned  to  see  if  all  were  coming,  found  the  line  broken  and 
the  children  scattered,  and  thus  the  bearings  were  lost.  All 
were  huddled  together,  and  a shawl  was  thrown  around  th  em, 
with  the  request  not  to  move  until  sure  of  the  right  direc- 


256 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


tion.  The  wind  would  whirl  in  every  direction,  and  at 
times  the  snow  and  sleet  would  cover  our  faces  so  we  could 
not  see  a particle — couldn’t  even  see  our  feet — and  it  was 
almost  suffocating.  In  a few  moments  a pile  of  rocks  was 
found,  which  were  due  east  from  the  house  about  130  feet, 
and  the  pupils  moved  to  them.  We  all  knew  where  we  were, 
but  no  one  knew  which  way  was  west.  Horror  of  horrors ! 

Placing  one  pupil  about  20  feet  from  the  others,  the 
teacher  went  as  much  farther.  This  was  done  several  times  in 
different  directions,  when  cuttings  were  discovered  which 
were  in  rows  leading  to  the  house. 

On  hands  and  knees  the  teacher  followed  the  row  to  the 
house,  the  rest,  ten  pupils,  following. 

The  children  were  crying  with  the  cold,  nearly  all  were 
frosted  ; faces,  fingers  and  feet  were  blistered.  The  teacher 
undid  wraps,  placed  frozen  limbs  in  water,  and  cared  for  the 
comfort  of  all  before  he  realized  his  own  frost  bites. 

The  lady  of  the  house  spread  bread  and  butter  for  the 
boys  and  we  started  back. 

In  the  meantime  the  sun  had  gone  down.  The  boy  who 
was  helping  to  take  the  food  to  the  school-house  desired 
not  to  go,  and  rather  than  risk  chances  of  a night  on  the 
prairie,  with  the  snow  for  a winding  sheet,  we  turned  back. 
No  one  cared  for  supper.  All  went  to  bed  to  keep  warm; 
14  persons  in  a 14  by  20-foot  house  of  one  story. 

Sleep  was  out  of  the  question. 

About  mid-night  the  wind  lulled  for  a few  moments,  and 
the  teacher  went  to  the  school-house,  were  all  were  found 


WESTERN  STATES. 


safe  around  the  fire.  With  a red  hot  stove,  and  a thermome- 
ter only  ten  feet  away  on  the  north  side  of  the  house,  the 
mercury  stood  about  zero.  It  was  30°  below,  out  doors,  next 
morning,  and  a stiff  wind  blowing. 

The  author  was  a truly  happy,  thankful  boy,  thinking 
“what  was,”  and  “what  might  have  been.” 


NORTH  DAKOTA 


r Location. 


<v 

A - 


Comparative  size. 


*5  : . Devil’s  Lake. 

Vm 

0 u f Missouri. 

1 i Rivers.  ; Little  Missouri. 

Dakota. 

[ Red  River  of  the  North. 


Rivers. 


Plateau  of  the  Missouri. 


' Fargo. 


^ ds  [Jamestown. 


00 


Animal. 


Products.  -!  Vegetable. 

( Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

358.  The  Burning  Mine, 

359.  Lumber  Region. 


‘*58 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


360.  The  Fur  Traders. 

361.  No.  1 Hard. 

362.  Mennonites. 

363.  Glacial  Drift. 

364.  Pre-emption  Claim. 

365.  Homestead  Claim. 


QUERIES. 

402.  What  does  the  word  “ Dakota^’  mean  ? 

403.  Is  Devil’s  Lake  fresh  or  salt  water  ? 

404.  How  is  the  Northern  boundary  marked  ? 

405.  Why  is  the  Red  River  Valley  such  a good  wheat 
country  ? 

406  What  is  the  division  line  between  the  Dakotas  ? 

407.  Why  was  the  Red  River  so  named  ? 

408.  How  are  many  cities  of  Dakota  supplied  with  water  ? 

409.  How  are  the  Indians  provided  for  ? 

410.  Describe  an  Indian  agency,  issuing  rations,  butcher- 
ing day,  etc. 

41 1.  What  is  the  Severalty  Bill  ? 

412.  What  is  the  Indian  Peace  Policy  ? 

413.  Where,  on  the  boundary  line,  is  there  a custom 
house  ? 

414.  Are  days  longer  in  this  State  than  where  you  live? 
If  so,  why  ? If  not,  why  not? 


WESTERN  STATES. 


259 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

FARGO. 

Fargo,  the  metropolis  of  North  Dakota,  is  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  and  prosperous  cities  of  the  golden  North- 
west. 

Its  schools,  churches,  public  buildings  and  industries,  are 
first-class. 

It  is  a distributing  point  for  all  this  region,  and  the  grain 
and  lumber  trade  is  immense. 

Near  here  are  the  famous  large  Dakota  farms,  one  of 
which  contains  75,000  acres. 

JAMESTOWN. 

Jamestown  is  a thriving  town  on  the  James  or  Dakota 
River.  It  is  the  seat  of  the  Asylum  for  the  Insane,  and  a 
Presbyterian  College. 

It  has  large  hotels,  many  fine  residences,  and  is  the  lead- 
ing town  in  that  section  of  the  State. 

GRAND  FORKS. 

Grand  Forks  is  a lively  business  city,  north  of  Fargo,  on 
the  Red  River  of  the  North. 

It  has  an  extensive  lumber  trade.  The  grain  trade  of  the 
surrounding  country  is  enormous.  It  is  the  seat  of  the 
University  of  North  Dakota,  which  affords  education  free  to 
all  who  attend. 


260 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


WALLED  LAKE  BEDS. 

In  North  Dakota,  and  other  neighboring  States,  are  the 
curious  freaks  of  nature  known  as  the  walled  lakes. 

The  banks  are  lined  with  stone  in  irregular  order,  and  are 
higher  than  the  surrounding  land. 

The  lakes  are  shallow  and  freeze  solid  in  the  winter  time, 
and  the  supposition  is  that  the  expansive  force  of  the  ice 
slowly  forces  the  stones  to  the  shore,  and  builds  up  the 
banks. 

DEVIL’S  LAKE. 

Minnewaukon  (Spirit  Take),  or  Devil’s  Take,  is  about  5 
miles  in  length  and  about  2 miles  wide.  It  is  the  largest 
lake  in  the  State,  and  has  100  square  miles  of  surface.  It 
has  no  outlet,  and  has  narrow  belts  of  timber  surrounding 
it.  Its  altitude  is  1,200  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

It  is  the  breeding  place  for  geese,  ducks,  brants,  swans, 
etc.  Near  this  lake  is  an  Indian  reservation,  a United  States 
military  post,  and  mission  schools. 

BAD  LANDS. 

In  the  valley  of  the  Tittle  Missouri  is  a tract  of  broken 
country,  30  by  1 50  miles  long,  called  the  Bad  Tands.  These 
lands  are  noted  for  their  wonderful  scenery  and  remarkable 
fossil  remains. 

Towers,  castles,  obelisks  and  pyramids,  colored  by  the  ris- 
ing and  setting  sun,  present  a scene  truly  grand  and  novel. 
The  rugged  buttes,  bluffs  and  brush  thickets  furnish  shelter 


WESTERN  STATES. 


261 


for  wild  game  and  herds  of  cattle.  Grasses  and  herbs  grow 
in  the  nooks  and  ravines,  and  furnish  food  in  both  winter 
and  summer. 

Many  are  the  wonderful  stories  told  by  travelers  concern- 
ing these  localities. 

A DAKOTA  FARM. 

Near  Castleton,  in  the  Red  River  Valley ; is  the  famous 
farm  of  Mr.  Oliver  Dalrymple,  who  owns  75,000  acres  of 
land. 

The  land  is  divided  into  smaller  farms  of  2,000  acres,  each 
under  the  charge  of  a foreman.  Supplies  are  purchased  at 
wholesale,  and  machinery  by  the  carload.  Each  farm  has 
the  necessary  buildings  belonging  to  any  well  regulated 
farm. 

The  outfit  consists  of  hundreds  of  gang-plows,  a hundred 
seeders,  a hundred  self-binders,  and  twenty  steam  threshers. 
Harvest  begins  about  August  1st,  and  the  immense  wheat 
fields  are  a wonder  to  behold. 

Imagine  a procession  of  self-binders  coming  down  a field 
of  wheat  extending  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  and  cutting 
a strip  nearly  a quarter  of  a mile  wide. 

Along  side  of  this  army  see  the  mounted  blacksmith  with 
his  movable  shop  and  tools  to  repair  any  breaks.  Here  and 
there,  over  the  field,  we  see  the  threshing  machines,  manned 
by  a force  of  six  hundred  men.  This  is  farming  on  a large 
scale,  and  no  wonder  this  region  is  famous  for  its  No.  1 
hard  spring  wheat,  which  makes  the  best  flour  in  the  world. 


262 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


IOWA. 


c n 

<v 

(D 

£ 

cj 


£ 


aJ 

« 


VO 
• Tt" 
as  oo 


Location. 


Comparative  size. 


Rivers. 


Mississippi. 

Cedar. 

Iowa. 

Des  Moines. 
Missouri. 

Big  Sioux. 

^ Little  Sioux. 


Cities. 


Products. 


' Burlington. 
Des  Moines. 
Davenport. 
Dubuque. 
Council  Bluffs. 
Sioux  City. 

1 Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

366.  The  Walled  Lake. 

367.  The  Gate  City. 

368.  Missouri  Flats. 

369.  Corn  Palace. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


263 


370.  Coal  Palace. 

371.  Coal  Fields. 

372.  The  Orchard  City. 

373.  The  Lowell  of  Iowa. 

374.  Gypsum  Quarries. 

375.  The  Key  City. 

376.  Belle  Plaine  Geyser. 


QUERIES. 

414.  Which  is  the  only  State  having  an  eastern  and  west- 
ern river  boundary  ? 

415.  Which  is  the  oldest  town  in  the  State? 

416  Locate  the  lead  region  of  Iowa. 

417.  Give  the  origin  of  the  name  of  the  State.  Motto? 

418.  Where  in  the  State  are  relics  of  the  Mound  Builders 
found  ? 

419.  Where  is  the  lake  region?  Name  several  of  these 
lakes.  For  what  are  they  principally  noted  ? 

420.  What  disaster  happened  to  Sioux  City  in  1892  ? 

42 1 . Does  Iowa  contain  breweries  and  distilleries  ? 

422.  Where  is  the  Blue  Grass  Palace  located  ? 

423.  Where  are  the  upper  rapids  on  the  Mississippi  River  ? 

424.  Locate  the  highest  point  of  land  in  the  State. 

425.  In  what  products  does  Iowa  excel? 

426.  Which  city  is  the  center  ot  the  lead  trade? 


264 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

DAVENPORT. 

This  city  was  named  after  Colonel  Davenport.  It  is  op' 
posite  Rock  Island,  and  Moline,  in  Illinois. 

Its  railroad  advantages  and  water  communication  with 
the  North  and  Northwest,  make  it  an  important  commer- 
cial center.  The  product  of  the  factories  amounts  to  over 
$15,000,000  annually.  The  saw  mills  do  a large  business, 
and  the  grain  handled  is  enormous.  There  are  many  noted 
schools  here.  The  Government  has  expended  many  mil- 
lions for  improvements  on  an  island  in  the  river. 

BURLINGTON. 

Burlington  is  very  pleasantly  situated  on  the  “ Father  of 
Waters.”  The  city  is  particularly  noted  for  its  fine  drain- 
age, pure  air  and  healthfulness.  Its  nearness  to: tone  quar- 
ries, its  vast  timber  wealth,  and  the  location  between  the 
coal  fields  of  two  States,  all  combine  to  make  Burlington  one 
of  the  important  cities  of  Iowa.  The  lumber,  iron,  grain 
and  railroad  interests,  are  extensive.  The  buildings  are 
mostly  of  brick. 


SIOUX  CITY. 

Sioux  City  is  one  of  the  most  thriving  and  enterprising 
cities  in  Iowa. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


265 


It  is  an  extensive  wholesale  supply  center  for  South 
Dakota,  Nebraska  and  western  Iowa.  It  ranks  third  in 
United  States  as  a pork  packing  center. 

Fully  one-half  of  the  flax  seed  produced  in  our  country 
is  raised  within  200  miles  of  Sioux  City.  Oatmeal  and  flour 
mills,  foundries  and  machine  shops,  many  factories  of  vari- 
ous kinds,  and  other  industries,  are  found  here.  The  Corn 
Palace  Exposition  is  one  of  the  modern  attractions  which 
draws  large  crowds  annually.  The  area  of  the  city  is  thirty 
square  miles  (1889). 

STORM  LAKE. 

There  is  a small  lake  in  northwestern  Iowa  called  Storm 
Lake,  which  is  a pleasant  summer  resort.  The  area  of  the 
lake  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  25  square  miles.  When  the 
lake  overflows  it  is  a strange  fact  that  the  waters  flow  into 
branches  that  respectively  reach  the  Missouri  and  Missis- 
sippi Rivers.  The  lake  has  a gravelly  beach,  and  the  citi- 
zens have  planted  many  beautiful  shade  trees  around  the 
lake. 

The  town  of  Storm  Lake  has  a glove  and  mitten  factory. 

AN  ICE  CAVE. 

Hidden  deeply  among  the  hills  of  northeastern  Iowa,  there 
exists  one  of  the  wonderful  works  of  nature. 

On  the  Iowa  River,  near  Decorah,  in  a cliff  200  feet  high, 
is  a natural  ice  cave. 

The  cavern  is  about  10  feet  wide  by  40  in  length,  and 
all  around  is  found  one  mass  of  pure  ice. 


266 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  ice  on  the  walls  is  only  a few  inches  thick,  but  trans- 
parent. It  was  named  from  Old  Decorah,  an  Indian  chief, 
who  used  the  cave  for  preserving  dressed  game. 

LOWER  RAPIDS  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI. 

Near  Keokuk  is  a canal  which  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment has  opened  for  navigation,  at  a cost  of  $9,000,000. 

This  canal  is  nearly  eight  miles  in  length,  three  hundred 
feet  wide,  and  seven  feet  deep  at  the  lowest  water.  There 
are  three  locks  in  this  canal. 

There  is  also  a dry  dock  connected  with  it,  which  is  owned 
by  the  Government. 

Boats  winter  in  this  canal,  and  much  ice  is  taken  from  it 
yearly. 

LOST  ROCKS. 

In  Cherokee  County  there  is  a large  rock  40  by  60  feet  in 
size,  20  feet  above  ground  and  more  below  the  surface.  They 
are  called  boulders,  or  lost  rocks.  The  supposition  is  they 
were  brought  here  by  glaciers. 

Read  up  the  subject  in  geology. 

COUNCIL  BLUFFS. 

Council  Bluffs  received  its  name  from  the  fact  that  the 
Indians  made  treaties  in  this  place. 

It  was  long  a trading  post,  later  it  became  the  stopping 
place  of  the  Mormons  who  left  Nauvoo,  Illinois. 

The  city  is  now  metropolitan  in  every  respect,  and  is  the 
terminus  of  eastern  and  western  trunk  lines. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


267 


Hence, this  city,  with  Omaha,  just  across  the  river,  has  an 
immense  wholesale  and  jobbing  trade. 

The  largest  trade  is  in  agricultural  implements.  The 
machine  shops,  the  canneries,  the  wagon  and  carriage  fac- 
tories, give  employment  to  thousands  of  people.  The  public 
parks,  the  schools  and  cemeteries,  are  objects  of  note.  Be- 
low the  town  the  river  forms  a lagoon,  around  which  a 
beautiful  park  is  appropriately  fitted  for  a summer  resort. 
Large  hotels,  pleasure  boats,  etc.,  attract  many  visitors. 


NEBRASKA. 


Boundary. 


Comparative  size. 


co 

u ~ . 

<V  tr> 


( Missouri. 


W M Cities. 


r Lincoln. 
Omaha. 


Cities.  Beatrice. 

Grand  Island. 

^ Nebraska  City* 


o vn* 

£ cc  Products. 


Animal. 


Products,  j Vegetable. 

( Mineral. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 


377.  Bad  Lands. 

378.  Sand  Hills. 

379.  Sod  Houses. 


268 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


380.  Draws. 

381.  Locusts. 

382.  Kansas  and  Nebraska  Bill. 

383.  Bull-bats. 

384.  Salt  Springs. 

385.  Great  American  Desert. 

QUERIES. 

427.  Why  are  the  rivers  of  this  State  not  navigable  ? 

428.  What  fuel  supply,  has  Nebraska  beside  wood  and 
coal  ? 

429.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  Nebraska  ? Why 
appropriate? 

430.  What  minerals  are  found  in  Nebraska  ? 

431.  What  portion  of  Nebraska  is  well  adapted  to  agri- 
culture ? For  grazing  ? 

432.  What  town  is  noted  for  the  manufacture  of  beet 
sugar  ? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

OMAHA. 

Omaha,  the  metropolis  and  former  capital  of  Nebraska,  is 
built  upon  the  west  bank  of  the  Missouri  River,  opposite 
Council  Bluffs.  It  is  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad,  and  also  the  terminus  of  several  other  rail- 
roads. The  growth  of  the  city  since  the  completion  of  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad,  has  been  constant  and  rapid. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


269 


Omaha  is  connected  both  by  bridge  and  ferry  with  Coun- 
cil Bluffs,  Iowa. 

Omaha  is  a distributing  point  for  a great  territory  west  of 
it,  and  also  has  some  note  for  its  manufactories  and  pork 
packing  establishments. 


LINCOLN. 

Lincoln,  at  the  time  it  became  the  capital  of  the  State, 
was  located  at  center  of  population  of  the  State.  It  is  now 
the  most  important  railroad  center.  It  is  engaged  in  manu- 
facturing and  commerce,  and  is  noted  for  its  public  and  educa- 
tional institutions.  Of  these  may  be  mentioned  the  Asylum 
for  the  Insane,  Penitentiary,  State  University,  Industrial 
University,  and  the  Wesleyan  University.  The  usual  mod- 
ern conveniences  of  a great  city  are  found  here. 

It  is  one  of  the  handsomest  cities  of  the  West. 

BEATRICE. 

Beatrice  is  a thriving  town,  and  the  center  of  more  than  a 
half-dozen  railroads.  It  is  located  on  the  Big  Blue  River, 
surrounded  by  a rich  farming  country. 

It  is  the  seat  of  a State  Institute  for  feeble  minded  persons. 

HASTINGS. 

Hastings,  180  miles  west  of  Omaha,  is  a prosperous  town 
with  excellent  railroad  facilities,  is  situated  in  the  midst  of 
a fertile  and  well  settled  region.  It  is  the  seat  of  Hastings 
College. 


270 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


NEBRASKA  CITY. 


Nebraska  City  is  an  important  town  on  the  Missouri 
River,  nearly  due  west  of  the  southern  border  of  Iowa. 
Manufacturing  is  the  leading  industry. 

Nebraska  College  is  located  here.  The  Missouri  is  here 
crossed  by  a steel  railroad  bridge,  and  a pontoon  bridge  for 
vehicles. 


CRETE. 


Crete  is  another  city  whose  recent  growth  has  been  very 
rapid.  It  is  very  pleasantly  located  on  the  Big  Blue.  The 
Nebraska  ‘ ‘ Chautauqua  Assembly  ” meets  here  every  sum- 
mer. 


KANSAS. 


Location. 


Comparative  size. 


Missouri. 

Kansas. 


Rivers. 


Osage. 
w Arkansas. 


' Leavenworth. 


oo  Products. 


Cities. 


Topeka. 
Atchison. 
Lawrence. 
Wichita. 
Ft.  Scott. 

Animal. 

Vegetable, 

Mineral. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


271 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

386.  The  Central  State. 

387.  Ossawatomie  Brown. 

388.  Border  Struggle. 

3S9.  Guerrillas. 

390.  Squatter  Sovereignty. 

QUERIES. 

433.  What  does  the  word  Kansas  mean? 

434.  What  trouble  occurred  in  regard  to  the  admission  of 
this  State  ? 

435.  Are  there  any  lakes  or  swamps  in  Kansas? 

436.  What  are  the  important  minerals  of  Kansas  ? 

437.  What  State  occupies  the  Geographical  center  of  the 
United  States? 

438.  What  State  has  the  least  area  of  useless  land? 

439.  Repeat  the  State  motto. 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

LEAVENWORTH. 

Leavenworth,  the  oldest  and  largest  city  of  Kansas,  is  an 
important  railroad  center,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Missouri. 

It  is  the  seat  of  a Soldiers’  Home,  a United  States  mili- 
tary prison,  and  a school  for  training  young  officers  for  the 
army. 

The  principal  industries  are  manufacturing  and  commerce. 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


272 


ATCHISON. 

Atchison  is  an  important  distributing  point  on  the  Mis- 
souri River,  about  twenty-five  miles  above  Leavenworth. 

It  enjoys  good  railroad  facilities  and  the  conveniences  of 
modern  cities.  The  State  Soldiers’  Orphans’  Home  is 
located  here. 

Manufacturing  is  a leading  industry. 

LAWRENCE. 

Lawrence  is  a thriving  town,  built  on  both  sides  of  the 
Kansas  River,  about  twenty-five  miles  east  of  Topeka.  The 
State  University  and  a Government  Indian  School,  called 
Haskell  Institute,  are  located  at  this  place. 

TOPEKA. 

Topeka,  the  capital  of  Kansas,  is  located  principally  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Kansas  River. 

It  is  the  seat  of  the  State  Reform  School,  an  Asylum  for 
the  Insane,  several  colleges  and  the  principal  offices  and 
shops  of  the  Sante  Fe  system  of  railroads.  These  shops 
turn  out  locomotives,  cars  and  railroad  machinery  of  all 
kinds.  Manufacturing  is  the  leading  industry. 

ARKANSAS  CITY. 

Arkansas  City,  on  the  Arkansas  River,  just  north  of  In- 
dian Territory,  commands  most  of  the  trade  with  the  Reser- 
vations, Indian  agencies  and  military  posts  of  the  Indian 
Territory.  An  artificial  waterfall,  22  feet  in  height,  fed  by 


WESTERN  STATES. 


273 


a canal,  furnishes  abundant  water  power  for  the  numerous 
factories. 

FT.  SCOTT. 

Ft.  Scott,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  State,  near  the 
MiSvSouri  line,  is  noted  for  having  the  largest  machine  shop 
west  of  St.  L,ouis.  It  was  here  that  sugar  was  first  made 
from  sorghum.  The  supply  of  coal,  building  stone  and  use- 
ful clays,  in  the  vicinity,  is  excellent,  and  apparently  inex- 
haustible. 

EMPORIA. 

Emporia  is  located  southwest  of  Topeka,  in  the  center  of 
a very  rich  agricultural  region. 

It  is  the  seat  of  a State  Normal  School,  and  of  the  Col- 
lege of  Emporia. 

GRASSHOPPERS. 

During  the  years  1873,  1874  and  1875,  parts  of  the  States 
of  Nebraska,  Kansas  and  Missouri,  were  completely  denuded 
of  vegetation  by  the  ravages  of  the  countless  hordes  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  locust  ( caloptenus  spretus)  or  grasshoppers, 
as  they  are  commonly  and  incorrectly  termed.  This  insect 
is  not  indigenous  to  the  above  named  States,  but  came  from 
parts  of  North  Dakota  and  Montana,  where  their  usual  sup- 
ply of  food  had  failed.  It  is  estimated  that  the  damage 
occasioned  at  that  time  in  those  States  amounted  to  over 
$50,000,000.  This  insect  is  of  the  same  family  as  those 
mentioned  in  the  Bible,  and  make,  it  is  said,  a very  palatable 
soup  or  biscuit. 


274 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


MISSOURI. 


<u 

4-» 

a 

+-> 

£ :- 

t/i 

^ a> 
<u  ^ 


o 

s 


Location. 

Latitude  and  Longitude. 

Mississippi. 
Des  Moines. 
Rivers.  ] Missouri. 

| Osage. 

I Kansas. 

C Ozark. 

Mountains.  -<  Iron. 

(_  Pilot  Knob. 

"St.  Louis. 
Jefferson  City. 
Kansas  City. 
St.  Charles. 
St.  Joseph. 

^ Hannibal. 

! Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 


Cities. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

391.  The  Mound  City. 

392.  The  Bluff  City. 

393.  Missouri  Compromise. 

394.  Old  Bullion. 

395.  Great  Swamp. 

396.  Iron  Mountain. 

397.  Earthquake  of  1811-12. 

398.  Bushwhackers. 

399.  Pennsylvania  of  the  West. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


275 


queries. 

440.  What  is  the  State  Motto  ? 

441.  What  battles  of  the  Rebellion  were  fought  in  Mis- 
souri ? 

442.  Are  colored  citizens  eligible  to  State  offices  in  Mis- 
souri ? 

443.  What  is  the  oldest  town? 

444.  What  city  of  Missouri  was  besieged  during  the 
Revolution  ? 

445.  Do  paupers  vote  in  this  State? 

446.  Who  were  the  Bald  Knobbers? 

447.  What  noted  men  have  lived  in  Missouri  ? 

448.  What  is  the  area  of  the  Missouri  River  basin  ? 

449.  Why  is  the  navigation  on  the  Missouri  River  danger- 
ous ? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

ST.  LOUIS. 

St.  Louis,  the  metropolis  of  Missouri,  and  of  the  central 
Mississippi  Valley,  extends  for  17  miles  along  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  20  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri 
River. 

It  has  a large  number  of  immense  and  elegant  fire-proof 
buildings,  and  has  been  growing  rapidly  during  the  past  few 
years. 

More  than  thirty-five  railroads  enter  the  city.  The  fam- 
ous Eads  steel  bridge,  and  a new  $2,000,000  freight  bridge, 
span  the  Mississippi  at  this  place. 


276 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


St  Louis  ranks  first  in  its  trade  in  mules  and  horses,  and 
second  in  the  manufacture  of  flour. 

The  city  has  numerous  parks,  the  most  famous  of  which 
is  Shaw’s  Botanical  Garden;  this  is  said  to  be  the  finest  in 
the  world.  It  was  private  property  for  many  years,  but  was 
finally  presented  to  the  city  by  Henry  Shaw,  the  owner. 

Manufacture  and  commerce  are  the  leading  pursuits. 

JEFFERSON  CITY. 

Jefferson  City,  the  capital  of  Missouri,  is  located  on  high, 
rolling  land,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Missouri  River,  near 
the  center  of  the  State. 

The  principal  public  buildings  are  the  State  House, 
Governor’s  Mansion,  State  Armory,  Penitentiary,  and  Lin- 
coln Institute,  an  educational  institution  for  colored  persons 
who  desire  to  become  teacners. 

KANSAS  CITY. 

Kansas  City,  the  second  city  in  size  in  Missouri,  is  situ- 
ated on  the  right  bank  of  the  Missouri  River,  near  the  Kan- 
sas border.  The  principal  part  of  the  city  is  built  upon  the 
sides  and  top  of  a steep  hill. 

The  principal  articles  of  commerce  are  lumber,  farming 
implements  and  grain. 

Pork  packing  is  an  important  industry. 

SAINT  JOSEPH. 

Saint  Joseph,  a prosperous  manufacturing  and  commercial 
center,  on  the  Missouri  River,  a little  over  ioo  miles  up 
from  Kansas  city,  is  the  third  city  in  size  in  Missouri. 

A fine  steel  railroad  bridge  spans  the  river  at  this  place. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


277 


St.  Joseph  is  the  seat  of  a State  Asylum  for  the  Insane, 
and  of  St.  Joseph’s  College. 

SEDALIA. 

Sedalia  is  a thriving  town  in  west  central  Missouri,  and 
has  a good  trade  in  the  region  between  the  Missouri  and 
Osage  rivers.  The  locomotive  works  and  car  shops  are  the 
principal  industries. 

ST.  CHARLES. 

St.  Charles,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Missouri  River,  is 
one  of  the  oldest  settlements  in  the  State.  It  was  settled  by 
the  Spanish  in  1769.  A magnificent  railroad  and  wagon 
bridge  crosses  the  river  at  this  place. 

HANNIBAL. 

Hannibal,  one  of  the  most  important  cities  between  St. 
Louis  and  St.  Paul,  is  the  terminus  of  several  important  lines 
of  railway.  It  is  noted  for  its  production  of  lime  and  the 
manufacture  of  lumber. 

Hannibal  College  and  St.  Joseph  Academy  are  located 

here. 

JOPLIN. 

Joplin,  in  southeastern  Missouri,  is  in  the  center  of  a very 
rich  lead  and  zinc  producing  region.  Over  one-seventh  of 
total  zinc  product  of  the  world  comes  from  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Joplin. 

The  mining  and  smelting  of  zinc  and  the  manufacture  of 
pig  lead  and  white  lead,  are  the  most  important  industries. 

At  Grand  Falls,  four  miles  from  Joplin,  is  the  largest  elec- 
tric light  and  power  plant  in  the  world.  The  city  and  mines 
are  furnished  with  light  and  motive  power  by  this  plant. 


278 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


CALIFORNIA. 


& 

rt 

-4-> 

to 

n 

<i> 

2 

O 

<u 


u> 

3 

M 


o 

O 


ci 

o 


o 

to 

oo 


Boundary. 

Area. 

Population. 

Pacific  Ocean. 

San  Francisco  Bay. 

Lake  Tulare. 

! Sacramento. 
San  Joaquin. 
Colorado. 

Cape  Mendocino. 

| Santa  Barbara. 
( Mare. 

f Colorado. 

( Mojave. 

( Sierra  Nevada. 


Islands. 


*{  Deserts. 


Mountains. 


Peaks. 


Cities. 


( Coast  Range. 

( Whitney. 

( Shasta. 

San  Francisco. 
Sacramento. 
San  Jose. 

Los  Angeles. 
Stockton. 
Oakland. 


{Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 

Curiosities. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


279 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  NOTES. 

400.  Golden  Gate. 

401.  Yosemite  Valley. 

402.  Silk  Culture. 

403.  Ostrich  Farming. 

404.  Argonauts  of  ’49. 

405.  Seasons. 

406.  Coolies. 

407.  The  Summerland  of  America. 

408.  The  Queen  City  of  the  Pacific  Slope. 

409.  City  of  Angels. 

410.  The  Olive  Culture. 

41 1.  Iceland  Stanford  University. 

412.  State  Park  of  California. 

413.  Joss  Houses. 

414.  United  States  Mint. 

415.  Grape  Culture. 

416.  Uava  Beds. 

417.  Vigilantes. 

418.  The  Uick  Telescope. 

419.  The  City  of  Oaks. 

420.  Geyser  Region. 

QUERIES. 

450-  Who  first  explored  California,  and  what  was  it  called  ? 
451.  Where  is  the  United  States  Navy  Yard  in  California  ? 


280 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


452.  How  old  are  the  big  trees?! 

453.  Which  is  larger,  New  England  or  California  ? 

454.  How  many  Rhode  Islands  could  be  made  of  Cali- 
fornia ? 

455.  Which  is  the  longer,  the  length  of  California  or  the 
distance  from  New  York  to  Chicago? 

456.  Relate  the  story  of  John  Marshall,  or  the  discovery 
of  gold. 

457.  What  is  the  motto  of  California? 

458.  How  are  the  big  trees  cut  down  ? 

459.  With  what  disadvantages  do  the  Californians  have 
to  contend  ? 

460.  Where  are  the  quicksilver  mines  ? Use  of  quicksil- 
ver ? 

461.  Describe  one  of  the  old  Spanish  Indian  Missions,  and 
tell  how  the  Indians  were  treated. 

462.  What  are  the  highest  falls  in  the  world  ? How  high? 

463.  Where  is  there  a noted  graphite  mine  ? 

464.  What  islands  noted  for  the  production  of  eggs  for  San 
Francisco  market  ? 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

SAN  FRANCISCO. 

vSan  Francisco  has  the  only  natural  harbor  between  San 
Diego  on  the  south,  and  Astoria  on  the  north. 

This  city  is  the  chief  emporium  of  the  Pacific  coast,  and 
is  one  of  the  wealthiest  cities  of  America,  the  home  of  many 


WESTERN  STATES. 


281 


millionaires.  The  area  of  the  city  is  about  41  square  miles, 
with  a population  of  nearly  300,000.  It  has  fine  public 
buildings,  palatial  residences,  and  business  industries  that 
almost  rival  those  of  the  East. 

The  Palace  Hotel  is  nine  stories  high,  cost  six  million 
dollars,  and  can  accommodate  1,200  guests.  An  oil  refinery 
here  works  up  the  product  of  the  Pacific  whaling  fleet. 

The  facilities  for  ship  building  are  not  excelled  in  any 
country.  The  wharf  and  docks  with  the  commerce  of 
nations,  are  objects  of  interest. 

There  are  many  public  parks,  theaters,  and  other  places 
of  amusement. 

One  interesting  part  of  the  town  is  Chinatown,  where 
thousands  of  Chinese  live  as  they  do  at  home.  They  eat 
with  chop-sticks  and  have  their  theatres,  joss-houses,  opium 
dens  and  gambling  places.  The  Cliff  House,  the  Seal  Rock, 
and  Rone  Mountain  cemetery  are  sights  which  all  visitors 
should  see. 

We  purposely  leave  the  other  cities  of  California  for  busy 
work.  There  are  many  other  things  to  be  talked  about  that 
are  perhaps  more  interesting. 

THE  BIGTREES. 

The  large  redwood  trees  of  California  have  a world  wide 
notoriety.  A special  agent  of  the  General  Land  Office  makes 
the  following  report  in  regard  to  the  number:  '‘There  were 
2,675  trees  found  which  measured  over  45  feet  in  circumfer- 
ence, three  feet  above  the  ground.  Forty-four  are  over  80 


282 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


feet  in  circumference  and  several  are  more  than  a hundred. 
One  is  106  feet  in  circumference,  or  a little  more  than  35 
feet  in  diameter. 

The  United  States  Congress  has  set  apart  and  reserved 
Mariposa  Grove  as  a public  park.  The  area  consists  of  a 
tract  about  two  miles  square.  There  are  numbers  of  these 
groves  in  different  parts  of  the  State.  A large  part  of  this 
marvelous  timber  on  the  Tule  river  has  been  purchased  by 
private  parties  and  is  being  cut  down  as  fast  as  possible. 
Hundreds  of  trees,  20  and  30  feet  in  diameter  have  been 
destroyed.  In  this  same  region  there  was  cut  a monster 
tree  41  1-3  feet  in  diameter  and  250  feet  high. 

Many  of  the  trees  have  received  names,  as  “Mother  of 
the  Forest,”  “Father  of  the  Forest,”  “Picnic  Tree,”  “Grizzly 
Giant,”  “Keystone  State,”  etc. 

One  of  the  large  trees  in  felling  required  five  men  twenty- 
two  days.  After  the  trunk  was  severed  it  required  three 
days'  work  with  immense  wedges  to  topple  it  over.  The 
bark  was  a loot  and  a half  thick. 

The  first  branch  of  the  Grizzly  Giant,  about  200  feet  from 
the  ground,  is  six  feet  in  diameter. 

A BIG  DAM. 

What  will  be  the  largest  dam  in  the  world  is  to  be  con- 
structed in  the  San  Mateo  Canon  in  California.  The  dam 
will  consist  of  a solid  wall  of  concrete  from  hillside  to  hill- 
side. It  will  be  700  feet  long  and  170  feet  high,  175  feet 
thick  at  the  base,  and  twenty  feet  thick  at  the  top.  The 


WESTERN  STATES. 


233 


reservoir  which  will  be  formed  by  this  dam  will  have  a ca- 
pacity of  32,000,000  gallons,  and  sometime  in  the  future 
will  be  connected  with  the  San  Francisco  water-shed  by  a 
tunnel  five  miles  long. 

THE  DEATH  VALLEY. 

Death  Valley  is  a volcanic  region  eight  by  forty  miles 
long  in  Southern  California.  Its  bed  is  over  150  feet  below 
the  sea  level  and  the  rocky  sides  rise  from  one  to  two  thous- 
and feet.  A river  sinks  out  of  sight  in  this  valley.  The 
air  is  intensely  hot  so  that  it  is  impossible  to  get  much  in- 
formation on  this  subject. 

It  is  even  supposed  that  gases  are  emitted  from  cracks  in 
the  rocks,  but  this  is  not  certainly  known.  It  does  not  sup- 
port animal  life,  hence  the  name. 

A surveyor  reports  the  temperature  at  1 30°  Fahr. , and 
that  a man  could  not  do  without  water  there  for  an  hour 
without  becoming  insane. 

IRRIGATION. 

Southern  California  is  one  of  the  few  places  which  are 
doubly  blessed  with  the  wealth  of  two  zones.  For  six  months 
no  rain  falls,  and  the  value  of  water  cannot  be  appreciated 
by  those  who  have  not  lived  in  such  a country.  There  is  a 
saying,  “If  a man  buys  water  he  can  get  the  land  thrown 
in.” 

There  are  four  systems  of  irrigation  practiced, — by  flood- 
ing, which  is  wasteful;  by  furrows,  where  the  streams  are 
run  through  narrow  ditches  prepared  for  it;  by  basins,  where 


284 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


the  water  is  brought  by  pipes  or  flumes  and  discharged 
where  needed,  and  by  sub-irrigation,  where  the  water  is  car- 
ried under  ground  and  by  opening  valves  the  water  moistens 
the  soil  but  never  comes  to  the  surface.  Every  drop  of 
water  is  valued,  owned  and  utilized.  Many  troubles  origi- 
nate in  regard  to  the  water  rights. 


A CALIFORNIA  FARM. 

The  description  selected  is  that  of  a ranch  (Baldwin's) 
in  the  San  Gabriel  Valley.  It  is  a part  of  the  Old  San 
Gabriel  Mission. 

This  farm  has  1,500  acres  of  oak  grove,  4,000  acres  of 
grain,  500  acres  of  hay  land,  150  acres  in  orange  orchards, 
50  acres  in  almonds,  60  acres  in  walnuts,  2 5 acres  in  pear  trees, 
50  acres  in  peaches,  20  acres  of  lemons,  500  acres  in  vines, 
small  orchards  of  apricots,  chestnuts  and  hazel  nuts,  besides 
thousands  of  acres  of  good  pasturage.  A visitor  here  would 
certainly  be  reminded  of  the  “ Vale  of  Cashmere,"  as  des- 
cribed by  Tom  Moore.  The  entire  estate  exceeds  80,000 
acres,  one  half  of  which  is  one  immense  sheep  ranch.  The 
fruit  harvest  continues  all  the  year  round.  From  January 
to  May  is  the  main  orange  harvest,  though  oranges  hang  on 
the  trees  all  year.  Currants,  nectarines,  apricots,  figs,  etc. , 
are  gathered  in  June.  Apples,  pears  and  peaches,  are  picked 
in  July  and  August.  Grapes  are  ripe  in  August  and  last 
until  January. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


285 


A QUEER  BRIDGE. 

In  Sonoma  County,  a queer  but  successful  piece  of  rail- 
road engineering  is  found. 

Between  certain  mills  and  the  forests  of  redwood  trees,  is 
a deep  ravine.  In  order  to  cross  the  ravine,  the  trees  were 
sawed  off  on  a level,  and  timbers  and  ties  were  laid  on  the 
stumps.  Two  huge  redwood  trees  stand  in  the  center  of 
the  ravine,  with  their  tops  cut  seventy-five  feet  from  the 
ground. 

Cars  heavily  laden  pass  over  this  bridge  in  perfect  safety. 

In  the  Colorado  desert,  there  is  a large  bed  of  rock  salt, 
and  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  is  laying  a tract  to  the 
salt  bed,  and  has  been  obliged  to  grade  the  road  with  blocks 
of  these  crystals.  This  is  the  only  instance  where  the  road 
bed  is  laid  and  ballasted  in  salt.  The  sea,  which  once  rolled 
over  that  place,  dried  up,  and  left  a vast  bed  of  salt  nearly 
fifty  miles  long. 

There  is  a remarkably  large  deposit  of  marble  found  in 
southern  California. 

There  are  eleven  shades  of  marble. 

Mono  Take  is  estimated  to  hold  78,000,000  tons  of  sodium 
carbonate. 

Thunder  and  lightning  are  exceedingly  rare  on  the  Pacific 
coast.  A genuine  thunderstorm  has  visited  California  but 
twice  in  twelve  years. 


286 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


SALTON  LAKE. 

Salton  Lake  was  discovered  one  morning  in  June,  1891. 
Its  earliest  appearance  in  history  was  just  after  the  Rio  Col- 
orado had  silted  up  its  mouth  until  the  sediment  had  made 
a filling  clear  across  the  old  Gulf  of  California.  The  latter 
was  then  about  twice  as  long  as  it  is  now.  After  the  filling 
occurred,  the  northern  part  dried  up ; the  southern  part  is 
still  the  Gulf  of  California.  In  the  desiccated  northern  part 
there  were  two  “ holes’ ’ rather  deeper  than  the  average. 
One  of  these  is  now  Death  Valley,  Arroyo  del  Muerte  ; the 
other  has  been  known  by  the  names  Sink  of  the  San  Felipe, 
and  latterly  Salton  Lake.  If  on  any  map  of  California  you 
will  draw  a line  from  Los  Angeles,  California,  to  Yuma, 
Arizona,  two-thirds  of  the  distance  from  the  former  place 
will  take  you  to  the  edge  of  a 4 ‘dry  lake.”  The  latter  is 
now  Salton  Lake,  and  is  about  300  feet  below  sea  level  in 
its  lowest  place.  The  Southern  Pacific  Railway  crosses  it  at 
a point  267  feet  below  sea  level.  Several  years  ago  the  Colo- 
rado overflowed  its  banks,  and  one  of  the  overflows  became 
quite  a formidable  stream,  sending  a flood  of  water  many 
miles  into  the  desert  to  the  westward,  most  of  which  is  much 
lower  than  the  river’s  level.  Last  year  the  river  turned  nearly 
the  whole  of  its  current  through  this  crevasse,  and  the  over- 
flow was  pushed  into  the  sink.  Thus  the  sink  became 
Salton  Lake. 


“ Web-footed  State. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


287 


OREGON. 


" Boundary. 
Area. 


Pacific  Ocean. 


<v 

m 

g3 

o 


W 


Rivers. 


' Columbia. 
Willamette, 
John  Day. 
w Snake. 


Cape  Blanco. 


i 

1 


Mountains. 


f Cascade  Mountains. 
I Blue  Mountains. 

- Mount  Hood. 
Mount  Pitt. 

^ Mount  Jefferson. 


Lake  Klamath. 


O 


Os 

10 

CO 


Lava  Beds. 


Cities. 


Products. 


" Salem. 
Portland. 

The  Dalles. 
c Astoria. 

' Animal. 

J Vegetable. 

1 Mineral. 
Manufactured. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

421.  Modoc  War. 

422.  Bald  Hills. 

423.  Grande  Ronde. 


288 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


424.  Great  Fremont  Basin. 

425.  Glaciers. 

426.  The  Cascades. 

427.  Sallal  Berry. 

428.  Donation  Taw. 

429.  Hot  Take. 

430.  Inland  Empire. 

QUERIES. 

465.  Why  was  Oregon  so  named  ? 

466.  What  town  in  this  State  was  made  famous  in  one  of 
Washington  Irving’s  literary  productions? 

467.  Are  there  any  volcanoes  in  Oregon  ? 

468.  What  two  seasons  in  Oregon? 

469.  By  what  men  was  Oregon  first  explored  ? 

470.  Who  named  the  Columbia  River  ? Why  name  It 
Columbia  ? 

471.  Are  oysters  found  along  the  Pacific  coast? 

472.  How  do  vessels  pass  the  Willamette  Falls? 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

PORTLAND. 

Portland,  the  metropolis  of  Oregon,  is  situated  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Willamette,  twelve  miles  above  its  mouth. 

It  is  easily  reached  by  the  largest  ocean  vessels,  and  has 
a large  trade  direct  with  foreign  countries. 

It  handles  most  of  the  commerce  of  the  Columbia  River 


WESTERN  STATES. 


289 


region,  and  has  large  manufactures  of  lumber,  iron  ware, 
vehicles,  leather  goods  and  furniture. 

Salmon  fishing  and  canning,  is  one  of  the  leading  occu- 
pations. 

Portland  has  excellent  railroad  facilities,  and  enjoys  an 
extensive  wholesale  trade. 

SALEM. 

Salem,  the  capital  of  Oregon,  is  located  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Willamette  River,  about  50  miles  above  Portland. 

The  excellent  water  power  is  utilized  by  many  factories  of 
various  kinds.  The  principal  articles  of  manufacture  are 
flour,  lumber,  woolen  goods,  stoves,  vehicles  and  farming 
implements. 

The  principal  public  institutions  located  here  are  Willa- 
mette University,  Institute  for  Deaf  [and  Dumb,  School  for 
the  Blind,  Asylum  for  the  Insane,  Orphans’  Home  and 
Oregon  penitentiary. 

A Government  Indian  Industrial  School  is  located  five 
miles  north  of  Salem. 


THE  DALLES. 

The  Dalles  is  a thriving  town  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Columbia,  about  200  miles  from  its  mouth. 

Salmon  fishing  and  canning  is  the  leading  industry,  but 
the  city  has  also  a large  trade  in  grain,  flour  and  lumber. 


290 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


More  salmon  are  found  in  the  Columbia  than  any  other 
river.  They  are  caught  principally  by  immense  fish  wheels 
whose  paddles  are  furnished  with  pockets  of  netting.  The 
wheels  are  caused  to  revolve  by  the  river  current,  and  as  the 
salmon  attempt  to  ascend  the  river  they  are  scooped  up  in 
the  wheel-pockets,  and  are  thus  captured.  During  the  sea- 
son of  1890  over  4,400  tons  were  shipped  from  The  Dalles 
alone. 

The  scenery  along  the  river  in  this  vicinity  is  pictur- 
esquely grand. 

ASTORIA. 

Astoria,  named  in  honor  of  John  Jacob  Astor,  under 
whose  management  it  was  founded,  in  1811,  is  located  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  Columbia  River,  about  12  miles  from 
the  ocean.  Salmon  fishing  is  the  principal  occupation, 
more  than  three  thousand  persons  being  engaged  in  catch- 
ing, and  over  two  thousand  are  occupied  in  the  canneries. 

Several  streets  are  built  over  the  water  upon  piles  driven 
deep  into  the  earth  below.  Ship  building  and  the  manu- 
facture of  lumber  are  important  industries. 

WILLAMETTE  VALLEY. 

This  valley,  lying  between  the  Cascade  and  Coast  Range 
Mountains,  has  an  area  of  about  7,500  square  miles,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  fertile  regions  in  the  world.  All  the  crops 
and  fruits,  common  to  the  temperate  zone,  can  here  be  grown 
to  perfection  and  in  great  abundance.  Bordering  upon  the 


WESTERNS  TATES. 


291 


valley  are  thousands  of  acres  of  ‘‘foot  hills”  that  afford  ex- 
cellent pasturage  and  are  devoted  to  grazing. 

The  Falls  of  the  Willamette  at  Oregon  City  now  afford  a 
power  of  over  200,000  horse  power.  The  river  here  descends 
about  40  feet. 

CRATER  LAKE. 

Lake  Crater,  the  deepest  inland  water  in  the  United  States, 
is  located  in  southwestern  Oregon.  Its  shores  are  so  steep 
that  the  surface  of  the  water  can  be  reached  at  only  a few 
points. 

The  depths  measured  were  from  835  feet  to  1996  feet,  and 
it  is  believed  that  there  are  still  greater  depths. 

The  altitude  of  the  Lake  is  over  7,000  feet. 

HOW  THE  NORTHWEST  WAS  SAVED. 

Oregon  and  Washington  are  now  bound  to  the  Union  by 
iron  bands.  Fifty  years  ago  a statesman  came  near  trading 
them  off  to  Great  Britain.  The  foresight  of  a home  mission- 
ary, Dr.  Marcus  Whitman,  saved  them  to  the  nation. 

Dr.  Whitman  had  crossed  the  plains  and  the  mountains 
to  Oregon,  and  knew,  from  a few  years*  experience,  the 
value  of  the  country.  He  also  knew  that  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  were  anxious  to  obtain  possession  of  the  whole 
Northwest,  and  had  circulated  the  report  that  it  was  impos- 
sible for  immigrants  to  cross  the  mountains  in  wagons. 

At  a dinner  given  in  1842,  where  the  doctor  and  several 
of  the  company’s  chief  officers  were  present,  news  was  re- 
ceived that  a band  of  British  immigrants  had  crossed  the 


292 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


mountains.  Toasts  were  drank  in  honor  of  the  event.  “Now 
the  Americans  may  whistle;  the  country  is  ours,”  said  one 
of  the  Englishmen,  boastingly. 

“God  help  me,  the  country  is  not  yours!”  said  the  doctor 
to  himself,  as  he  left  the  table.  The  next  day  he  started 
for  Washington  on  horseback.  He  made  the  journey  in 
winter,  and  with  frozen  limbs  called  on  Daniel  Webster,  the 
Secretary  of  State.  On  presenting  the  case,  he  was  bluffly 
told  by  Mr.  Webster  that  the  country  was  worthless. 

“Wagons  cannot  cross  the  mountains,”  said  the  secretary. 
Sir  George  Simpson  who  is  here  affirms  that.  I am  about 
trading  that  worthless  region  for  some  valuable  concessions 
in  relation  to  the  Newfoundland  fisheries.” 

Finding  that  a treaty  had  already  been  approved  by  the 
Senate  and  was  awaiting  formal  ratification  and  the  signa- 
ture of  President  Tyler,  Dr.  Whitman  sought  the  president. 
After  listening  to  his  story,  Mr.  Tyler  said, — 

“Dr.  Whitman  your  frozen  limbs  and  leather  breeches 
attest  your  sincerity.  Can  you  take  emigrants  across  the 
mountains  in  wagons?” 

“Give  me  six  months  and  I will  take  one  thousand  emi- 
grants across,”  answered  the  doctor.” 

“Well,”  replied  the  president,  “if  you  take  them  across 
the  treaty  shall  not  be  ratified.” 

In  1843,  a band  of  emigrants,  under  the  guidance  of  the 
doctor,  started  from  Missouri  for  Oregon.  A deputation 
from  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  met  them  on  the  plains,  who 
affirmed  that  it  was  impossible  to  cross  the  mountains  with 


WESTERN  STATES. 


293 


their  wagons.  The  emigrants  almost  decided  to  leave  their 
wagons  and  finish  the  journey  on  horseback. 

As  this  course  would  have  ruined  Dr.  Whitman’s  plan  of 
saving  Oregon  to  the  United  States,  he  labored  with  the 
leaders  of  the  band  until  they  consented  to  follow  the  Doc- 
tor’ s advice  and  guidance.  The  band  did  cross  the  mountains 
in  their  wagons,  and  the  treaty  was  not  ratified,  and  the  fer- 
tile Northwest  was  saved  to  the  Nation. 


294 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


WASHINGTON. 


Washington. 

1889. 


' Boundary. 
Comparative  size. 
Pacific  Ocean. 


Puget  Sound. 
Strait  of  Fuca. 
Haro  Canal. 


Canes  \ Flattery- 

capes-  { Hancock. 

{Columbia. 
Snake. 
Spokane. 


< 


Mountains.  < 


Cascade. 

Coast  Range. 
Mount  Ranier. 
Mount  Baker. 


Cities. 


' Seattle. 
Tacoma. 
Olympia. 
Walla  Walla. 


Products. 


'Fish. 
Grain. 
- Hops. 
Coal. 

^ Iron. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

SEATTLE. 

Seattle,  the  metropolis  of  Washington,  is  situated  on 
Elliott’s  Bay,  an  arm  of  Puget  Sound.  Manufacturing  and 


WESTERN  STATES. 


295 


commerce  are  the  principal  industries.  The  State  University 
is  located  here.  The  city  enjoys  all  the  advantages  of  mod- 
ern cities. 

Seattle  was  named  from  an  Indian  chief. 

TACOMA. 

Tacoma,  one  of  the  most  prosperous  cities  of  Washington 
is  located  on  Commencement  Bay,  an  inlet  of  Puget  Sound. 
It  has  an  excellent  natural  harbor,  capable  of  safely  floating 
the  largest  vessels.  It  is  the  western  terminus  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad. 

Tacoma  is  in  the  center  of  a country  rich  in  resources, 
both  for  agriculture,  manufacturing  and  commerce.  Ship 
building,  manufacture  of  lumber,  and  exportation  of  grain 
and  coal,  are  important  industries.  The  scenery  in  this 
vicinity  is  grandly  beautiful. 

The  “Anna  Wright  Seminary  ” (for  females)  is  located  at 
this  place. 

WALLA  WALLA. 

Walla  Walla  is  a thriving  town  of  southeastern  Washing- 
ton, on  the  Walla  Walla  River.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  a very 
rich  agricultural  region,  and  is  the  seat  of  Whitman  College, 
the  State  Penitentiary,  and  a United  States  army  post. 

WEEPING  TREES. 

In  the  forests  of  Washington  and  surrounding  country 
there  are  trees  which  weep  copiously  in  clear,  bright  days 
when  no  dew  is  visible  elsewhere. 


296 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  dripping  is  so  profuse  that  the  ground  underneath  is 
almost  saturated.  The  phenomenon  in  this  case  is  caused  by 
the  remarkable  condensing  power  of  the  leaves  of  the  fir, 
and  it  occurs  only  when  the  relative  humidity  is  near  the 
dewpoint.  The  dripping  ceases  after  io  or  n o’clock  in  the 
morning,  but  resumes  at  or  near  sunset. 

OLYMPIA. 

Olympia,  the  capital  of  Washington,  is  a small  city  loca- 
ted on  a peninsula  at  the  head  of  Puget  Sound.  Good 
water  power  is  furnished  by  a small  river  that  enters  the 
Sound  at  this  place.  Extensive  and  valuable  forests  of  fir 
are  in  this  vicinity. 


SPRAGUE. 

Sprague,  about  40  miles  west  of  Spokane  Falls,  is  the  seat 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  repair  shops,  and  is  an  important 
shipping  point  for  grain  and  stock 

PORT  TOWNSEND. 

Port  Townsend,  a thriving  city  on  Puget  Sound,  about  90 
miles  from  the  Pacific  Ocean,  is  the  port  of  entry  for  the 
Puget  Sound  District.  A country  rich  in  agriculture  and 
mineral  resources  surrounds  it.  It  handles  most  of  the  trade 
with  Alaska,  and  has  important  manufacturing  interests. 

The  great  timber  resources  of  the  Pacific  Northwest  can 
scarcely  be  realized  by  those  who  have  not  visited  the  im- 
mense forests  of  giant  trees,  growing  so  close  together  in 


WESTERN  STATES. 


297 


many  places  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  travel  through 
the  woods.  Twenty  million  acres  of  land  are  covered  with  a 
growth  of  wood  which  will  cut  an  average  of  25,000  feet  of 
merchantable  lumber.  Much  of  it  will  cut  an  average  of 
100,000  feet  or  more,  while  single  trees  are  common  that  will 
cut  3,000  feet  each.  The  Port  Townsend  Leader  estimates 
the  quantity  of  merchantable  lumber,  standing  in  the  for- 
ests of  Washington,  at  160,000,000,000  feet — sufficient  to 
supply  all  markets  of  America  for  generations,  and  yet  send 
fleets  laden  with  ship  timbers  to  every  port  of  the  civilized 
world.  Oregon,  in  the  Coast  and  Cascade  ranges,  and  in 
the  counties  along  the  ocean  from  the  Columbia  River  to 
the  California  line,  has  as  much  more  timber,  and  these  two 
great  sister  States,  unless  devastated  by  forest  fires,  will 
never  run  short  of  building  material. 

At  Port  Gamble  the  visitor  is  shown  the  stump  of  the 
tree  that  nourished  the  spars  for  the  Great  Eastern,  and 
is  told  of  the  flag  staff,  185  feet  long,  which  was  cut  for  the 
Boston  Jubilee,  but  owing  to  a crooked  road  it  could  not  be 
sent  in  time. 

The  logs  are  cut  by  two  circular  saws,  which  saw  from 
above  and  below,  each  saws  one-half  the  log.  The  ordinary 
log  cuts  are  24  and  32  feet  long.  Sometimes  ioo-foot  cuts 
are  made  for  special  purposes. 


298 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


MONTANA. 


<u  CO 


a 

o 

SS 


" location. 

Comparative  size. 

f Missouri. 


On 

00 

00 


Rivers. 


Mountains, 


Cities. 


Products. 


| Milk. 

{ Yellowstone. 
| Big  Horn. 
[Clark's. 

j Rocky. 

( Bitter  Root. 

{Helena. 
Butte  City. 
Ft.  Benton. 

f Animal. 

\ Mineral. 


LARGEST  COUNTY. 


The  county  of  Custer  in  Montana  is  the  largest  county  in 
the  United  States.  It  contains  13,569,920  acres,  and  is  150 
miles  long  and  125  miles  wide.  It  is  a place  of  historic  in- 
terest, containing,  as  it  does,  the  site  of  the  great  battle  of 
Little  Big  Horn,  where  Custer  and  his  force  were  massacred. 


MONTANA  TUNNEL. 

Eighteen  miles  from  Helena  there  is  a tunnel  6,200  feet 
long.  It  runs  through  a large  mountain  of  the  Boulder 
divide. 

A CURIOUS  RABBIT. 

What  is  known  as  a snow  rabbit,  that  came  from  the 
region  near  the  head  waters  of  the  Yellowstone  River,  has 


WESTERN  STATES. 


299 


been  exhibited  at  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  Washington. 

It  has  feet  nearly  as  broad  as  the  human  hand,  that  serve 
the  same  purpose  as  the  snow  shoes  of  the  Indian  or  hunter. 
Its  principal  food  is  Juniper  berries  and  Alpine  seed.  The 
question  arises : How  came  the  rabbit  to  have  those  broad 
feet  ? Could  generations  of  common  rabits,  by  running  for 
thousands  of  years  on  the  snow,  have  developed  these 
natural  ‘ ‘ snow-shoes  ? ’ 9 

HELENA. 

Helena,  the  capital  and  principal  commercial  city  of  the 
State,  is  situated  in  the  west  central  part  of  the  State,  in  4 
Prickly  Pear  Valley,  about  12  miles  from  the  Missouri 
River. 

The  principal  business  is  mining,  manufacturing  and 
commerce.  Gold  and  silver  are  the  principal  minerals  pro- 
duced. 

In  1889,  a gold  bar,  weighing  7,000  ounces,  and  worth 
$101,385.50,  was  cast  here.  It  was  the  largest  gold  bar 
ever  made. 

A good  plan  to  do  hereof  time  permits,  is  to  describe  a 
noted  cattle  ranche,  the  cow  boys,  and  their  manner  of  liv- 
ing, the  marking  and  branding  of  the  cattle,  the  round  ups, 
and  the  stampede  of  the  cattle. 

Tell  of  the  dangers  on  the  prairies  of  fire,  of  storms,  of 
wild  beasts,  and  even  Indians. 

GREAT  FALLS. 

Great  Falls,  near  the  center  of  the  State,  on  the  Missouri 
River,  is  near  the  only  series  of  falls  on  the  whole  river. 


300 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Within  a distance  of  ten  miles,  the  river  descends  over  500 
feet.  This  great  water  power  and  the  great  mineral  resources 
in  the  immediate  vicinity,  will  doubtless  make  this  a great 
manufacturing  city.  Coal,  lead,  silver,  iron  and  copper  are 
found  in  abundance. 

BUTTE  CITY. 

Butte  City,  named  for  the  mountain  peak,  Big  Butte,  is 
the  largest  mining  city  in  the  world.  It  is  located  about  60 
miles  southwest  of  Helena. 

Copper,  silver  and  gold  are  the  principal  minerals  mined, 
crushed  and  smelted  here.  The  value  of  the  product  of 
Silver  Bow  County,  of  which  Butte  City  is  the  county  seat, 
for  1890,  was  over  $26,000,000.  Butte  City  enjoys  all  the 
conveniences  of  a modern  metropolis,  and  is  sometimes 
called  ‘ ‘ The  Silver  City.  ’ ’ 


IDAHO. 


o 

cd 


r Boundary. 
Comparative  size. 


o 

On 

00 


Rivers. 


( Snake. 

1 Clark’s. 


Bitter  Root  Mountains. 


{Boise  City. 
Idaho  City. 
Spokane  Falls. 


^ General  list  of  products. 


WESTERN  vSTATES. 


301 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

SPOKANE  FALLS. 

Spokane  Falls  has  had  a remarkable  experience,  as  shown 
by  the  following  clipping  from  a Chicago  daily  newspaper : 

“ For  a city  to  suddenly  find  itself  in  another  State  with- 
out being  removed,  is  a new  municipal  experience;  but  this 
has  been  realized  in  the  wild  and  wooly  West.  It  is  now 
said  that  the  boundary  line  between  Idaho  and  Washington 
is  thirty  miles  farther  west  than  was  supposed,  so  that 
Spokane  and  its  30,000  inhabitants,  and  a thickly  settled 
strip  of  territory,  are  added  to  Idaho.” 

The  river  here  descends  about  1 50  feet,  in  the  distance  of 
half  a mile,  affording  immense  water  power  that  is  used  by 
the  many  factories  of  various  kinds.  A very  rich  farming 
country  stretches  north,  west  and  south  of  the  city,  while  to 
the  eastward  are  the  Coeur  D’Alene  Mountains,  with  rich 
deposits  of  gold,  silver,  copper  and  mica.  The  scenery 
along  the  river,  below  the  city,  is  very  picturesque. 

BOISE  CITY. 

Boise  City,  the  capital  of  Idaho,  is  located  on  the  Boise 
River,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State.  The  valley  is 
very  fertile,  and  the  neighboring  mountains  are  rich  in  min- 
erals. 

The  climate  is  salubrious.  The  city  is  supplied  with 
mountain  water.  A little  stream  flows  through  every  street, 

A United  States  assay  office  is  located  here. 


302 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


MOSCOW. 

Moscow  is  a thriving  town  located  in  western  Idaho,  in 
the  center  of  a rich  agricultural  region.  An  immense  and 
excellent  supply  of  timber  is  near  at  hand  on  the  mountain 
sides.  It  is  the  seat  of  the  University  of  Idaho. 


WYOMING. 


9 d 
J2  .y 
Jr}  u 
V <L> 

a a 
§ < 


c 

S . 

O <N 
> CO 


Location. 
Comparative  size. 


Rivers. 


f Big  Horn. 

! Big  Cheyenne. 
North  Platte. 
Green. 


Mountains.  { b £ Horn. 


Fremont’s  Peak 
Cities. 


( Cheyenne. 

( Laramie  City. 


Yellowstone  Park. 
Products. 


Wyoming  is,  at  present  (1892),  the  youngest  member  of 
the  sisterhood  of  States. 

Its  area  is  about  100,000  square  miles,  its  breadth  from 
east  to  west  being  365  miles,  and  from  north  to  south 
275  miles.  The  general  appearance  of  the  country  is  moun- 
tanous,  with  valleys,  broad  rolling  plains,  sloping  foot- 
hills, and  bold  bluffs  and  buttes.  The  elevation  ranges  from 


WESTERN  STATES. 


303 


3,500  to  14,000  feet  above  the  sea  level.  There  are  lofty 
mountain  ranges  covered  with  everlasting  snow,  deep  canons 
and  elevated  plateaus  forming  natural  parks,  of  which  the 
most  celebrated  is  the  Yellowstone  National  Park.  The 
present  population  of  Wyoming  is  estimated  at  from  60,000 
to  75,000  whites.  The  Indians  are  all  on  reservations,  are 
peaceful,  and  are  being  educated  to  mechanical  and  farming 
pursuits. 

Stock  raising  is  the  most  important  industry.  In  1888  the 
range  stock  numbered  2,000,000  cattle,  1,000,000  sheep  and 
goats,  and  100,000  mules  and  horses,  all  worth,  in  round 
numbers,  $75,000,000.  The  grazing  lands  represent  about 
one-half  the  area  of  the  new  State 

The  new  State  is  rich  in  minerals,  30,000  square  miles  of 
its  surface  being  underlaid  by  coal-bearing  strata  alone.  The 
output  of  coal  in  1889  was  1,813,420  tons.  Besides  coal 
there  are  iron,  deposits  of  soda,  sulphur,  salt,  slate,  gyp- 
sum, copper,  tin,  mica,  marble,  sandstone,  magnesia  and 
other  minerals.  Both  lode  and  placer  gold  mines  abound. 
Extensive  placer  mines  have  been  discovered  during  the 
last  year,  near  the  head  of  the  Big  Sandy  River,  and  a com- 
pany has  been  formed  to  construct  a canal  to  work  the  mines 
by  hydraulic  methods.  The  oil  fields  are  extensive,  cover- 
ing a belt  thirty  miles  wide  and  200  miles  long.  Mineral 
springs  of  different  kinds  have  been  found  in  various  sec- 
tions, and  some  of  them  have  become  popular  resorts. 

The  farm  products  are  the  usual  grains  of  the  temperate 
zone,  and  alfalfa,  which  furnishes  three  cuttings  per  year. 


304 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  Union  Pacific  Railroad  traverses  the  southern  border 
of  the  new  State,  and  has  several  branch  lines  to  the  north 
and  south.  There  are  schools  wherever  there  are  enough 
children  to  attend,  and  good  teachers.  Wyoming  is  larger 
than  New  England,  and  has  more  natural  resources  of  all 
kinds.  Its  water  power  is  unlimited,  and  its  facilities  for 
manufacturing  industries  are  of  the  best.  At  the  present 
time  there  are  ten  organized  counties  in  Wyoming.  Chey- 
enne is  the  capital  and  the  largest  town. 

CHEYENNE. 

Cheyenne,  the  capital  of  Wyoming,  is  located  in  the  south- 
eastern part,  about  40  miles  from  Nebraska,  and  12  miles 
from  Colorado.  [It  is  in  the  center  of  a great  stock-raising 
territory,  and  is  the  home  of  many  wealthy  ranch  owners. 

The  Union  Pacific  Railroad  and  a branch  of  the  B.  & 
M.  road  have  costly  depots  here.  Ft.  Russel,  a few  miles 
west,  is  the  largest  United  States  military  post  in  that  region. 

LARAMIE  CITY. 

Laramie  City,  about  60  miles  west  of  Cheyenne,  on  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad,  is  a thriving  town  surrounded  by  a 
country  well  adapted  to  agriculture  and  grazing. 

It  has  excellent  schools  and  is  the  seat  of  the  University 
of  Wyoming.  The  State  Fish  Hatchery  and  a United  States 
Penitentiary  are  located  here. 

The  Soda  Lakes,  13  miles  south  of  Laramie,  cover  over 
one  hundred  acres  and  contain  many  million  cubic  feet  of 
pure  sulphate  of  soda,  in  a crystallized  condition.  The  de- 
posite  of  soda  is  from  9 to  1 2 feet  in  thickness. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


304a 


RAWLINS. 

Rawlins  is  a Government  distributing  point,  the  third  in 
size  in  the  State.  The  Union  Pacific  have  shops  and  round 
house  here. 

There  are  quarries  of  fine  building  stone  near. 

The  most  valuable  mine  in  the  Rockies  for  raw  material  of 
which  red  metallic  paint  is  made,  is  within  a few  miles  of 
this  place. 

It  is  the  seat  of  the  State  penitentiary. 

THE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

This  Park,  55  by  65  miles  in  area,  is  located  principally 
in  northwestern  Wyoming,  but  partly  in  Montana  and  Idaho. 
We  shall  only  enumerate  a few  of  the  sights,  leaving  the 
descriptions  for  busy  work.  Good  descriptions  may  be  found 
in  railroad  folders,  guide  books,  etc. 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs. 

The  Mud  Volcanoes. 

Obsidian  Cliffs. 

Petrified  Forests. 

The  Yellowstone  Lake. 

Sulphur  Hills. 

The  Giant  Geyser. 

Old  Faithful. 

The  Paint  Pots. 

The  Hoodoo  Region. 

The  Fauna  and  Flora, 


304b 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Midway  Basin. 

Upper  Geyser  Basin. 

Gibbon  Canon  and  Falls. 

Morris  Geyser  Basin. 

The  Upper  Falls. 

Lake  Yellowstone. 

“ There  is  nothing  in  the  Park,  [writes  Prof.  Whitwell], 
there  are  few  sights  in  the  woild  so  wondrous  and  so  weird 
as  the  Great  Faees  and  Granl.  Canon  of  the  Yeeeow- 
STONE.  The  scene  from  the  brink  of  the  falls,  looking  into 
the  profound  depth  of  the  canon,  is  of  strange  majesty  and 
indescribably  awe-inspiring.  The  advancing  volume  of 
water  flows  rapidly  and  compactly  to  the  brink,  and  falls 
with  a tremendous  shock  into  a large,  circular,  foaming 
caldron,  bounded  by  cliffs  a thousand  feet  high.  Along  the 
sides  of  the  canon,  the  walls  are  in  many  places  fashioned 
into  pyramids.  The  tints  of  yellow,  deep  red,  etc.,  are  due 
to  the  action  of  the  hot  springs,  the  weath;r,  the  presence 
of  sulphur  and  the  oxidation  of  iron,  which  here  as  else- 
where, is  Nature’s  principal  pigment.  I can  echo  the  words 
of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Wayland  Hcyt — that  to  have  seen  the 
Grand  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone  is  an  epoch  in  my  life. 
The  Crater  of  Vesuvius  is  the  only  place  in  which  I remem- 
ber to  have  seen  such  a variety  and  wealth  of  natural  color  ; 
but  where  the  palette  and  pencil  fail,  how  feeble  the  pen ! 
John  Ruskin  should  see  and  tell  of  this  place.  ” 


WESTERN  STATES. 


305 


NEVADA. 


to 

i-,  </) 

ii  a 

> <D 

S So 

rP  d 

fH  XfX 


Location. 


Comparative  size. 


Rivers. 


Lakes. 

\ 


( Colorado. 

{ Humboldt, 

( Tahoe. 

] Walker’s. 

( Pyramid. 


Great  Interior  Basin. 


T Carson  City. 
Cities.  } Eureka. 

( Virginia  City. 
^ General  list  of  products. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

CARSON  CITY, 

The  capital  of  Nevada,  is  situated  on  Carson  River,  about 
i o miles  from  Lake  Tahoe.  It  is  the  oldest  town  in  the 
State,  and  was  named  in  honor  of  the  famous  scout,  Kit 
Carson. 

The  manufacture  of  mining  and  mill  machinery,  is  an 
important  industry. 

Besides  the  Capitol,  the  Orphans’  Home  and  a State 
Prison  are  here  located. 


RENO, 

On  the  Trukee  River,  about  50  miles  from  Virginia  City,  is 
is  a flourishing  town,  and  an  important  distributing  point 
for  that  region.  At  this  place  are  located  the  University  of 
Nevada,  the  State  Asylum  for  the  Insane,  a State  Prison 
and  the  buildings  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society. 


306 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


VIRGINIA  CITY, 

In  the  western  part  of  the  State,  is  the  largest  town  in  the 
State. 

It  has  had  a checkered  career — sometimes  “ booming/  ’ 
and  again  almost  depopulated. 

Mining  is  the  business  of  the  place. 

Water  for  the  town  is  brought  21  miles  in  pipes  and 
flumes  from  Lake  Marlette. 

LAKE  TAHOE. 

Lake  Tahoe  is  the  highest  navigable  water  in  the  United 
States,  and  lies  among  the  snow-clad  mountains  of  Sierra 
Nevada. 

This  lake  is  particularly  noted  for  its  mountain 
scenery,  for  the  remarkable  clearness  of  the  water,  and 
for  being  one  of  the  most  picturesque  summer  resorts  of  the 
West. 

Water  spouts  are  of  frequent  occurrence  here,  owing  to 
the  great  mountain  chasms  down  which  conflicting  currents 
of  air  are  brought  to  bear  on  the  lake. 

It  has  been  said  that  more  cyclones  and  water  spouts  can 
be  seen  in  a single  season  on  this  lake  than  a sailor  would 
see  in  three  years’  service  on  the  ocean.  Steamboats  ply 
on  the  lake  during  the  summer  season. 

Ferns,  lilies  and  other  flowers  of  all  shades  and  colors 
bloom  in  profusion  during  July  and  August,  around  this 
lake,  at  an  altitude  of  6,250  feet  above  sea  level. 

SILVER  MINES. 

The  great  silver  deposits  of  the  world — those  of  them 
which  are  known — were  all  discovered  by  accident. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


307 


The  celebrated  Comstock  lode,  richest  of  all  silver  mines, 
was  a chance  find.  In  the  summer  of  1859,  Peter  O’Riley 
and  Pat  McEaughlin  were  located  at  Gold  Hill,  Nevada. 

They  were  working  for  gold,  and  were  in  hard  luck. 
Needing  water  for  their  rockers,  they  dug  a hole  four  feet 
deep  and  came  upon  an  outcropping  of  the  marvelous  lode. 
It  was  a bed  of  black  sulphide  of  silver.  The  men  did  not 
know  what  it  was,  but  tried  it  for  gold,  and  were  astonished 
to  find  the  bottoms  of  their  rockers  covered  with  the  yellow 
stuff*,  which  they  were  soon  taking  out  at  the  rate  of  $1,000 
a day,  “Old  Pancake'  ' Comstock,  another  prospector,  so 
called  because  he  fed  on  pancakes  chiefly,  claimed  and 
secured  a share  in  the  property.  They  all  were  in  the  habit 
of  heartily  cursing  the  “infernal  blue  sand,’'  subsequently 
proved  to  be  silver  ore,  which  clogged  the  rockers.  The 
famous  “Big  Bonanza  " was  a slice  of  ore,  nearly  half  silver, 
180  feet  in  width,  and  of  unknown  depth,  extending  across 
the  Comstock  Eode.  For  many  years  past  it  has  yielded 
from  $600  to  $1,000  a ton. 

Good  luck  seldom  attends  those  who  discover  mines. 
Comstock  sold  his  share  for  $11,000,  went  broke,  and  blew 
his  brains  out.  O'Riley  disposed  of  his  slice  for  $50,000, 
lost  the  money,  and  went  to  prospecting  again.  He  became 
insane  and  thought  he  heard  voices  in  the  rocks,  prattling  of 
great  crevices  filled  with  pure  silver,  and  caverns  lined  with 
gold.  Finally  he  was  shut  up  in  a lunatic  asylum.  “ Old 
Virginia"  Finnimore,  who  located  a claim  on  the  lode,  and 
gave  his  name  to  Virginia  City,  baptizing  it  with  a bottle  of 
whisky,  was  thrown,  while  drunk,  by  a bucking  mustang, 
and  killed. 

Silver  has  one  interesting  use  that  is  very  little  known. 
Nearly  all  good  mirrors  are  backed  with  it,  and  not  with 
mercury,  as  is  generally  supposed.  Before  it  is  put  on, the 


308 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


glass  has  to  be  cleaned  with  the  utmost  care.  Everything 
depends  on  that,  because  if  it  is  not  perfectly  clean  the 
metal  will  flake  off*. 


UTAH. 


ON 

00 


A 

d 


Location . 

T nfcps  1 Great  Salt  ^ake‘ 

l^akes.  | Utah_ 

f Green. 

( Jordan. 

Wasatch  Mountains. 

Great  Salt  Lake  Desert. 

| Salt  Lake  City. 

( Ogden. 

List  of  Products. 


Rivers. 


Cities. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 


SALT  LAKE  CITY, 

The  capital  of  Utah,  and  the  principal  city  of  Mormondom, 
on  the  Jordan  River,  about  15  miles  from  the  Great  Salt 
Lake.  The  city  covers  an  area  of  nine  square  miles,  and 
has  a population  of  50,000. 

The  Mormon  Temple,  100x200  feet,  is  built  of  white 
granite,  and  cost  $10,000,000. 

Manufacturing  and  smelting  are  the. leading  industries. 

The  streets  of  the  city  are  wide,  well  shaded,  and  have  in 
each  running  streams  of  water.  The  water  is  brought  from 
a mountain  stream.  Water  for  irrigation  is  brought  20 
miles  from  Utah  Lake. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


309 


PREVO, 

The  “Garden  City  of  Utah,”  is  located  on  Utah  Lake, 
about  45  miles  south  of  Salt  Lake  City.  The  country  has  a 
fertile  soil  and  produces  good  crops.  Wool  is  the  principal 
export.  The  city  has  excellent  water  power,  and  rich  mines 
of  coal  and  iron  are  near  at  hand.  The  most  important 
manufactures  are  woolen  goods,  flour,  lumber  and  fire-proof 
paint. 

OGDEN, 

A prosperous  town,  and  the  leading  railroad  center  of  Utah, 
is  located  at  the  junction  of  Weber  and  Ogden  rivers,  not 
far  from  Great  Salt  Lake.  It  is  the  meeting  point  of  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad,  from  the  east,  and  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad  from  the  west.  Its  being  the  terminus  of 
many  railroads  was  probably  the  origin  of  its  nickname, 
“ Junction  City.” 

Streams  of  water,  brought  from  the  mountains,  flow  in 
every  street. 

The  principal  mineral  products  in  the  neighborhood  are 
iron,  salt,  lime,  building  stone  and  coal. 

The  excellent  waterpower  furnished  by  the  falls  in  Ogden 
canon  is  just  beginning  to  be  used  by  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments. 

SALT  LAKE. 

Four  barrels  of  water  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  will  leave, 
after  evaporation,  nearly  a barrel  of  salt.  The  lake  was 
discovered  in  the  year  1820,  and  no  outlet  has  yet  been 
ascertained.  Four  or  five  large  streams  empty  themselves 
into  it;  and  the  fact  of  its  still  retaining  its  saline  proper- 
ties seems  to  point  to  the  conclusion  that  there  exists  some 
secret  bed  of  saline  deposit  over  which  the  waters  flow,  and 


310 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


that  thus  they  continue  salt — for  though  the  lake  may  be  the 
residue  of  an  immense  sea,  which  once  covered  the  whole  of 
that  region,  yet  by  its  continuing  so  salt,  with  the  amount 
of  fresh  water  poured  into  it  daily,  the  idea  of  the  exist- 
ence of  some  such  deposit,  from  which  it  receives  its  supply, 
seems  to  be  only  too  probable.  For  the  past  fifteen  years, 
until  last  year,  the  lake  has  been  gradually  rising;  but  in 
1879  it  receded  two  or  three  feet — a most  unusual  occurrence 
— owing  to  the  exceptionally  warm  weather.  There  are  no 
fish  in  the  lake,  but  myriads  of  small  flies  cover  its  surface. 
The  buoyancy  of  the  water  is  so  great  that  it  is  not  an  easy 
matter  to  drown  in  it.  The  entire  length  of  Salt  Lake  is 
eighty-five  miles.  Compared  with  the  Dead  Sea,  the  Great 
Salt  Lake  is  longer  by  forty-three  miles,  and  broader  by 
thirty-five  miles.  The  Mormons  visit  the  lake  in  large 
numbers  for  the  purpose  of  bathing.  Their  bodies  are  all 
encrusted  with  salt,  upon  coming  out  of  the  water,  and 
many  of  them  say  their  health  is  improved  by  dressing  with 
the  salt  upon  their  bodies. 

There  are  ten  iron  mountains  in  Iron  County,  in  Utah, 
estimated  to  contain  130,000,000  tons  of  ore  Utah  is  richer 
in  iron  than  any  other  section  of  the  United  States. 

THE  VALLEY  OF  DEATH. 

The  Valley  of  Death,  a spot  almost  as  terrible  as  the 
prophet’s  valley,  of  dry  bones,  lies  just  north  of  the  Old 
Mormon  road  to  California,  in  Utah — a region  thirty  miles 
broad,  and  surrounded,  except  at  two  points,  by  inaccessible 
mountains. 

It  is  totally  devoid  of  water  and  vegetation,  and  the 
shadow  of  bird  or  wild  beast  never  darkens  its  white,  glar- 
ing sands. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


811 


The  Kansas  Pacific  railroad  engineers  discovered  it,  and 
some  papers  which  show  the  fate  of  the  lost  4 4 Montgomery 
train,’' which  came  south  from  Salt  Lake  in  1850,  guided 
by  a Mormon. 

When  near  Death’s  Valley,  some  one  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  Mormon  knew  nothing  about  the  country, 
so  they  appointed  one  of  their  number  as  leader,  and  broke 
off  from  their  party. 

Their  leader  turned  due  west ; so  with  the  people  and 
wagons  and  flocks,  he  traveled  three  days,  and  then 
descended  into  the  broad  valley,  whose  treacherous  mirage 
promised  water.  They  reached  the  center,  but  only  the 
white  sand,  bounded  by  scorching  peaks,  met  their  gaze. 

Around  and  around  the  valley  they  wandered, , and  one* 
by  one  the  men  died,  and  the  panting  flocks  stretched  them- 
selves in  death  under  the  hot  sun.  Then  the  children,  cry- 
ing for  water,  died  at  their  mother’s  breast,  and  with  swollen 
tongues  and  burning  vitals,  the  mothers  followed.  Wagon 
after  wagon  was  abandoned,  and  strong  men  tottered,  and 
raved,  and  died. 

After  a week’s  wandering,  a dozen  survivors  found  some 
water  in  the  hollow  of  a mountain.  It  lasted  but  a short 
time,  when  all  perished  but  two,  who  escaped  out  of 
the  valley,  and  followed  the  trail  of  their  former  companions. 

Eighty-seven  families,  with  hundreds  of  animals,  perished 
here,  and  now,  after  seventy-two  years,  the  wagons  still 
stand  complete,  the  iron  work  and  ties  are  bright,  and  the 
shriveled  skeletons  lie  side  by  side. 


Col.  “ Centennial  State. 

1876.  “Rovers.” 


312 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


COLORADO. 


Boundary. 

Area. 


Rivers. 


South  Platte. 
Republican. 
Arkansas. 
Rio  Grande. 
Grand. 

_ Green. 

Rocky  Mountains. 

f Long’s. 
Peaks.  -j  Pike’s. 

(Spanish. 
Denver. 


Cities. 


Products.  Vegetable. 


Leadville. 
Colorado  City. 
Gunnison. 


Animals. 


Wild. 

f Cattle. 

Domestic. 

i Horses. 
( Sheep. 

Grains. 

Fruits. 

Timber. 

Mineral. 


f Gold  and  Silver. 
Lead  and  Copper. 
Coal  and  Iron. 

Oil  and  Stone. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

432.  Queen  City  of  the  Plains. 

433.  Snow  Line. 

434.  The  Divide. 


WESTERN  STATES. 


313 


435.  Mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross. 

436.  The  Balanced  Rock. 

437.  Monument  Park. 

438.  Grand  Caverns. 

439.  Echo  Lake. 

440.  Chalk  Cliffs. 

441.  The  Ute  Pass. 

QUERIES. 

472.  Why  are  there  no  cats  in  Leadville  ? 

47 3 . Why  must  people  on  the  mountain  tops  do  without 
boiled  eggs? 

474.  Describe  the  cog-railway  up  to  the  signal  station,  on 
Pike’s  Peak. 

475.  What  rivers  rise  in  the  mountains  of  Colorado  ? 

476.  For  what  diseases  is  the  climate  of  Colorado  bene- 
ficial ? 

477.  What  explorers  once  visited  this  region  ? 

478.  Are  there  any  railroad  tunnels  through  the  Rocky 
Mountains  ? 

479.  What  is  meant  by  ‘‘salting  ” a mine ? 

480.  What  is  the  highest  peak  in  Colorado  ? 

Some  Monday  morning  place  the  word  “ Mines  ” on  the 
blackboard  for  a Friday  afternoon  talk.  Let  every  pupil  be 
required  to  be  ready  to  say  something  upon,  or  pertaining 
to  that  subject,  and  the  more  the  better. 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

Colorado,  like  ancient  Gaul,  is  divided  into  three  parts  ; 
the  mountain  range,  including  the  peaks ; the  foot  hills,  and 
the  plains. 

In  the  mountain  range  are  over  200  peaks,  each  nearly 
13,000  feet  high,  and  two  dozen  peaks  each  over  14,000  feet 


314 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


in  altitude.  Among  several  ranges  of  mountains  are  the 
famous  North,  South,  Middle,  and  San  Louis  Parks. 

The  parks  are  surrounded  by  mountain  ranges,  and  are 
remarkable  physical  features  of  Colorado.  From  these 
plateaus  issue  the  great  streams  which  flow  in  all  directions 
from  this  State.  These  plateaus  are  broken  by  valleys, 
wherein  grow  grasses,  and  flowers,  and  by  hills  covered  with 
forests,  wherein  wild  game  abounds. 

Among  the  many  attractions  of  this  region  are  the  peaks, 
the  great  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  Manitou  and  its  curious 
formations  of  nature,  Cheyenne  Mountain,  distinguished 
as  the  final  resting  place  of  Helen  Hunt  Jackson,  and  the 
Garden  of  the  Gods,  where  the  monoliths  and  curious 
figures  receive  appropriate  names. 

The  thermal  springs,  the  falls  and  cascades,  the  caves  and 
canons,  are  all  objects  of  interest. 

About  one-third  of  Colorado  is  under  cultivation.,  which 
is  carried  on  by  a system  of  irrigation.  This  State  is  par- 
ticularly rich  in  mineral  resources. 

DENVER. 

Denver  is  the  metropolis  and  wealthiest  city  of  Colorado. 
It  is  almost  one  mile  above  the  sea  level. 

The  city  is  metropolitan  in  every  respect.  Its  massive 
business  blocks,  its  noble  public  buildings,  its  universities 
and  schools,  its  elegant  hotels  and  private  residences,  are 
indicative  of  intelligence,  wealth,  and  good  government. 

As  a manufacturing  and  railroad  center  it  leads  any  other 
city  in  the  State.  The  sewerage  is  perfect,  the  water  supply 
abundant,  the  climate  healthful  and  delightful,  and  the 
scenery  is  magnificent. 

The  Capital,  the  United  States  Mint,  the  Union  Depot,  the 


WESTERN  STATES. 


315 


Opera  House,  and  other  buildings,  are  a few  of  the  noted 
attractions  of  the  “ Queen  City  of  the  Plains.’ * 

PUEBLO. 

Pueblo  is  the  center  of  the  corn,  wheat  and  fruit  produc- 
ing valley  of  the  Arkansas  in  Colorado. 

The  largest  steel  and  iron  works  west  of  the  Missouri  River, 
are  at  Pueblo.  It  is  the  seat  of  several  large  smelting  estab- 
lishments, foundries  and  machine  shops,  where  miners’  tools 
are  manufactured.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  the  famous  coal 
fields,  and  near  the  petroleum  region,  from  which  a pipe  line 
is  laid  to  the  city. 

The  Colorado  Mineral  Palace,  a permanent  exhibition  of 
the  minerals  of  the  State,  is  located  here. 

Pueblo  has  several  artesian  wells,  which  have  gained  the 
reputation  of  curative  powers.  The  water  is  shipped  to 
different  parts  of  the  United  States. 

LEADVILLE, 

A famous  mining  town,  is  a little  over  ioo  miles  southwest 
of  Denver.  Gold  was  discovered  here  in  i860,  and  for 
awhile  great  excitement  prevailed,  and  the  place  was 
thronged  with  miners  from  far  and  near.  It  still  has  valu- 
able mines  of  silver,  gold  and  lead,  that  are  thoroughly 
worked.  The  population  has  been  decreasing  slowly  of  late 
years. 

OURAY. 

Ouray,  “Gem  of  the  Rockies,”  is  in  southwest  Colorado. 
Its  altitude  is  over  7,000  feet.  Its  hot  springs  have  a tem- 
perature of  140°  Fahr.  There  has  been  no  city  tax  levied 
since  1883. 

It  is  a resort  for  invalids,  and  the  seat  of  a miners’  hos- 
pital. 


316 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


COLORADO  SPRINGS. 

Colorado  Springs  is  a noted  health  resort  and  starting 
place  from  which  to  view  the  wonders  of  Colorado.  It  is 
the  seat  of  the  Mining  Institute,  the  Colorado  College,  and 
the  Institute  for  Deaf  Mutes. 

From  this  city  to  the  summit  of  Pike’s  Peak  is  16  miles  ; 
to  Manitou  Springs,  5 miles  ; to  the  “ Garden  of  the  Gods,” 
4 miles  ; Monument  Park,  8 miles  ; and  Glen  Eyrie,  5 miles. 

PIKE’S  PEAK  SIGNAL  STATION. 

“Old  Probabilities,”  as  the  weather  manufactory  is  called 
sometimes,  is  occasionally  a little  erratic. 

There  are  over  1,200  stations  under  the  charge  of  men 
belonging  to  the  United  States  Signal  Corps. 

An  outfit  at  each  station  consists  of  a barometer,  ther- 
mometer, hygrometer,  anemometer,  weather  vane  and  a rain 
gauge,  with  the  necessary  household  effects  for  living. 
Three  times  each  day  : at  7:35  A.  m.,  4:35  p.  m.,  and  11:35 
p.  m.,  Washington  time,  the  reports  are  telegraphed  to 
Washington,  where  the  bulletins  are  made  up  an  hour  and 
twenty-five  minutes  after  the  observations  are  made.  For 
reliable  weather  prophesy,  four  facts  must  be  known,  viz.: 
The  weight,  the  temperature,  the  humidity,  and  the  direc- 
tion and  velocity  of  the  air. 

The  station  on  the  summit  of  Pike’s  Peak  is  the  highest 
in  the  United  States.  It  is  14,157  feet  above  the  sea  level, 
surrounded  by  perpetual  snow,  and  in  a region  where  many 
of  the  severest  storms  originate. 

Water  freezes  here  every  night  in  the  year,  and  snow 
storms  are  not  unusual  in  July  and  August. 


TERRITORIES. 


317 


The  house  has  walls  two  feet  thick.  There  are  several 
rooms — one  for  instruments,  one  for  sleeping,  two  for  store 
rooms,  and  one  for  a kitchen. 

The  roof  is  anchored  by  great  cables,  to  brace  it  against 
the  wind,  which  sometimes  blows  ioo  miles  per  hour.  Six 
months*  provisions  and  food  are  taken  up  every  fall. 

The  view  is  magnificent — 150  miles  distant  Spanish  Peaks 
glisten  in  the  sun — Denver  and  Pueblo  can  be  located  by 
their  smoke. 

Pike’s  Peak  is  the  highest  mountain  known  where  civil- 
ized people  live  all  the  year  round. 

It  was  named  after  its  discoverer,  Zebulon  W.  Pike,  who 
was  killed  by  an  explosion  at  Toronto,  during  the  War  ot 
1812. 

With  his  head  resting  on  the  flag  he  ended  a life  of  use- 
fulness, of  heroism  and  honor.  This  peak  may  be  said  to 
be  his  monument. 


NEW  MEXICO. 


g 

• rH 

<D 


O 

rCj 

m 

4-» 

• i-H 

m 

.2 

'u 

3 

O 


location. 

Comparative  size. 

!Rio  Grande. 
Pecos. 
Canadian. 

( Santa  Fe. 

Cities.  ' Fas  Vegas. 

( Albuquerque, 
^ Fist  of  Products. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

LAS  VEGAS, 

An  important  town  of  New  Mexico,  is  located  about  50 
miles  southeast  of  Santa  Fe,  on  the  Gallinas  River. 


318 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


The  L,as  Vegas  Hot  Springs,  about  6 miles  northwest  of 
the  city,  is  a popular  resort. 

Good  building  stone  of  various  colors,  and  heavy  forests 
of  excellent  timber,  are  near  at  hand. 

SANTA  FE, 

The  capital  of  New  Mexico,  and  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in 
the  United  States,  is  built  on  both  sides  of  the  Santa  Fe 
Creek,  about  1 5 miles  from  Rio  Grande. 

When  first  visited  by  the  Spaniards,  about  1540,  it  was 
the  site  of  a populous  Indian  pueblo  (town).  The  rich  gold 
mines  in  the  vicinity  were  worked  by  the  Spaniards  until 
1680,  when  the  Indians  drove  them  away  and  filled  up  the 
mines  with  rubbish.  The  Spaniards  were,  25  years  after- 
wards, allowed  to  return,  only  upon  the  condition  that  they 
should  not  work  at  mining. 

Nearly  all  of  the  houses  are  built  of  adobe , or  sun  dried 
brick,  and  are  but  one  story  high. 

Over  70  per  cent,  of  the  population  consists  of  Mexicans, 
and  Spanish  is  the  prevailing  language.  Santa  Fe  has  a 
very  healthful  and  delightful  climate. 

IRRIGATION. 

The  first  attempts  at  irrigation  in  this  country  were  made 
in  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  by  the  aboriginal  inhabitants. 

The  work  of  reclaiming  from  3,000,000  to  4,000,000  acres, 
Is  now  in  progress  in  the  Rio  Grande  and  Pecos  River  val- 
leys. It  is  estimated  that  60,000,000  acres  of  agricultural 
land,  including  much  of  what  is  known  as  the  * ‘ Staked 
Plains,' * can  be  reclaimed  by  storing  water  in  reservoirs 
from  these  rivers* 


TERRITORIES. 


319 


This  is  an  excellent  subject  for  investigation,  but  our 
space  forbids.  The  region  west  of  the  ioo°  meridian  may 
be  made  to  bloom,  and  the  near  future  may  see  such  irriga- 
tion that  will  rival  that  of  the  ancient  Babylonians  and 
Arabians. 

ZUNI. 

The  Zuni  village  of  the  Pueblo  Indians  is  built  in  a shel- 
tered nook  of  a desert  country.  The  houses  are  all  con- 
nected and  built  up  in  terraces,  and  entered  by  means  of 
ladders.  In  order  to  find  out  about  these  strange  people, 
Mr.  Frank  Cushing  went  to  live  with  them.  He  was  adopted 
as  a son,  and  was  finally  made  one  of  the  war  chiefs. 

Through  him  many  of  these  facts  have  been  made  public. 
He  found  these  people  very  pleasant  and  peaceful.  Agri- 
culture is  their  main  pursuit.  Their  great  building  now  has 
about  i, 600  inhabitants,  but  at  one  time  must  have  contained 
upwards  of  5,000. 

In  the  center  of  the  large  council  room  is  a square  stone 
box,  where  the  sacred  fire  is  kept  continually  burning.  Here 
the  Priests  of  the  “ Order  of  the  Bow  ” meet. 

Their  history  and  tradition  are  handed  down,  orally, 
through  four  chosen  persons. 

Mr.  Cushing,  who  was  sent  out  by  the  Smithsonian  Insti- 
tute, relates  many  of  the  curious  customs  and  religious 
traditions  of  this  remarkable  and  wonderful  people.  A 
book,  “ The  Eand  of  the  Pueblos,”  by  Mrs.  Susan  E.  Wal- 
lace, gives  considerable  information  on  this  subject. 

It  is  said  that  6,000  square  miles  of  territory  are  covered 
with  these  adobe  dwellings. 


320 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ARIZONA  TERRITORY 


Location. 


a Colorado  Plateau. 


Cities. 


" Phoenix. 
Tucson. 
Prescott. 


Tombstone. 


Products. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 


PHOENIX, 


The  capital  of  Arizona,  is  located  in  the  southern  part,  on 
Salt  River.  By  means  of  irrigation,  this  valley  that  once 
was  an  arid  waste,  has  been  made  to  ‘‘blossom  as  the  rose.” 

The  soil  and  climate  are  especially  well  suited  for  the  pro- 
duction of  semi-tropical  fruits.  Oranges,  lemons,  bananas, 
olives  and  grapes,  both  for  wine  and  for  raisins,  are  profit- 
ably cultivated. 

Commerce  is  the  principal  business  of  the  city 


A PETRIFIED  FOREST. 


The  visitor  to  the  petrified  forest  near  Corrizo,  on  the  Lit- 
tle Colorado,  will  begin  to  see  the  signs  of  petrification  hours 
before  he  reaches  the  wonder  ; here  and  there,  almost  every 
step  in  the  road,  small  pieces  of  detatched  limbs  and  larger 
stumps  may  be  seen,  almost  hidden  in  the  white  sand.  The 
road,  at  a distance  of  ten  miles  from  Corrizo,  enters  an  im- 
mense basin,  the  slope  being  a semi-circle,  and  this  enclosed 
by  high  banks  of  shale,  and  white,  fine  clay. 


TERRITORIES. 


321 


The  petrified  stumps,  limbs,  and,  in  fact,  whole  trees,  lie 
about  on  all  sides.  The  action  of  the  waters  for  hundreds 
of  years  has  gradually  washed  away  the  high  hills  round 
about,  and  the  trees  that  once  covered  the  high  table  lands 
now  lie  in  the  valley  beneath.  Immense  trunks,  some  of 
which  will  measure  five  feet  in  diameter,  are  broken  and 
scattered  over  a surface  of  300  acres.  Ldmbs  and  twigs 
cover  the  sand  in  every  direction,  and  the  visitor  is  puzzled 
as  to  where  he  shall  begin  to  gather  the  beautiful  specimens 
that  lie  within  easy  reach.  There  are  numerous  blocks  or 
trunks  of  this  petrified  wood  that  have  the  appearance,  for 
all  the  world,  of  having  just  been  cut  down  by  the  wood- 
man’s ax,  and  the  chips  are  thrown  around  on  the  ground  so 
that  one  can  instinctively  pick  them  up,  as  he  would  in  the 
log  camps  of  Michigan  and  Pennsylvania. 

Many  of  the  small  particles,  and  even  the  whole  heart  of 
some  trees  have  now  become  thoroughly  crystalized,  and 
the  beautiful  colored  cakes  sparkle  in  the  sunshine  like  so 
many  diamonds.  Every  color  of  the  rainbow  is  duplicated 
in  these  crystals,  and  those  of  an  amethyst  color  would  pass 
the  eye  of  a novice  for  a real  stone.  The  grain  of  the  wood 
is  plainly  shown  in  nearly  every  specimen — making  the 
pieces  more  beautiful  than  ever. 

YUMA’S 

Great  canal  is  the  most  gigantic  enterprise  as  yet  taken  in 
hand  in  Arizona.  To  tunnel  through  a hill  or  mountain 
side,  so  as  to  take  water  of  the  Colorado,  without  damaging 
the  stream,  which  is  the  present  plan,  and  that  recom- 
mended by  the  English  irrigation  engineers,  then  to  bring 
the  water  down  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  with  an  aqueduct 
across  the  Gila,  so  as  to  irrigate  the  2,000,000  acres  of  rich 


322 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


land  lying  adjacent  to  Yuma,  in  Arizona,  California,  Sonora, 
and  Lower  California ; in  fact,  to  build  this  canal  90  miles 
in  length,  100  feet  is  width  at  the  bottom,  and  12  feet  deep, 
is  not  the  work  of  an  hour,  nor  the  task  of  a child,  and  yet 
this  is  but  the  outline  of  this  great  work,  all  of  which  is 
going  to  be  done,  and  that,  too,  in  the  near  future. 

THE  GRAND  CANONS. 

These  canons  are  the  most  wonderful  example  of  erosion 
of  rivers  known. 

The  description  of  them  may  be  found  in  so  many  books, 
hence  it  is  omitted  for  want  of  space. 

J.  W.  Powell,  of  the  Geological  Survey,  gives  a grand 
description  of  the  Colorado  canons. 

A CURIOUS  LAKE. 

Southwest  of  Yuma,  Arizona,  there  exists  a curious  and 
wonderful  lake.  The  water  is,  to  all  appearances,  jet  black, 
yet  it  does  not  color  the  skin  of  the  bathers. 

A white  cloth  dipped  in  the  lake  is  colored  black,  but 
upon  closer  examination,  it  is  found  to  be  a black  substance 
which  adheres  to  the  cloth.  A ten  or  fifteen  minutes'  bath 
is  so  exhilarating  as  to  make  one  feel  as  if  under  the  influ- 
ence of  brandy.  This  place  is  a great  health  resort  of  the 
Indians  for  fever,  rheumatism  and  other  diseases.  The 
Indians  place  their  invalids  in  the  hot  volcanic  mud,  up  to 
their  necks,  for  half  an  hour,  then  they  are  washed  in  the 
lake,  after  which  they  are  rolled  in  blankets  and  placed  in 
the  hot  sands  to  sweat. 

They  are  next  removed  to  a suitable  place  and  left  to 
sleep.  The  remarkable  cures  are  as  unfailing  to  the  white 
people  as  to  the  Indians. 


TERRITORIES. 


323 


INDIAN  TERRITORY. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 


TRIBES. 


CAPITALS. 

Tahlequah. 

Tishemingo. 

Armstrong. 

Ocmulgee. 

Wewoka. 


Cherokees, 

Chickasaws, 

Choctaws, 

Creeks, 


Seminoles, 


These  five  tribes  are  known  as  civilized  Indians.  They 
have  schools,  churches,  newspapers,  and  laws  of  their  own. 

Some  or  them  are  very  industrious,  and  even  wealthy. 

Some  of  these  Indians  once  owned  slaves,  and  even  en- 
gaged in  the  Southern  Confederacy. 

The  war  left  them  stripped  of  nearly  everything,  and  hav- 
ing borne  arms  against  the  Union,  their  treaties  were  for- 
feited. New  treaties  were  made  with  them  after  the  war, 
permitting  them  to  still  own  the  same  tracts  as  before,  but 
they  were  to  free  their  slaves  (6,000),  and  to  permit  other 
Indians  to  settle  on  portions  of  their  land. 

A narrow  strip  of  timber,  known  as  “Cross  Timbers/ * 
stretches  across  the  Territory. 

Their  chief  occupation  is  agriculture,  and  many  of  them 
do  as  well  as  the  white  people. 

The  remnants  of  over  30  small  tribes  are  also  located  in 
this  Indian  country. 

The  total  population  is  not  far  from  75,000  to  80,000 
Indians. 


324 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


OKLAHOMA  TERRITORY. 


s 


o 

& 

a 


o 


T3 

n 

c3 

►4 


3 

oS 

<u 

pq 


Boundary. 
Comparative  size. 


Rivers. 

< 


' Arkansas. 
Canadian. 
Cimmoran, 
Red. 


Wichita  Mountains. 


Cities  I Guthrie, 

ernes.  | Oklahoma  City. 

Products. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

NO  MAN’S  LAND. 

This  strip  of  land,  33^  miles  wide  by  167  miles  long,  was 
once  a portion  of  Texas,  known  as  the  Texas  Panhandle. 

When  Texas  became  a State,  because  it  was  to  be  a slave 
vState,  it  became  necessary  to  relinquish  that  part  north  of 
36°  30'  to  conform  to  the  agreement  between  the  free  and 
slave  States,  known  as  the  Missouri  Compromise.  For  years 
this  strip  was  without  the  control  of  law,  and  until  recently 
it  formed  no  part  of  Uncle  Sam’s  estate.  It  is  very  fertile 
and  well  watered.  It  has  a delightful  climate,  and  valuable 
coal  deposits.  There  are  thousands  of  settlers  here  without 
any  other  claim  to  the  land  than  squatters’  rights. 

These  people  have  formed  a kind  of  government  of  their 
own,  and  peace  and  order  have  prevailed. 

They  petitioned  Congress  to  give  them  a territorial  gov- 
ernment, and  now  they  are  included  in  the  Oklahoma  Terri- 
tory. It  is  called  The  Panhandle  of  Oklahoma  Territory. 


TERRITORIES. 


325 


In  1830  the  President  of  the  United  States  was  author- 
ized to  set  apart  a certain  tract  of  land  for  the  use  of  In- 
dians who  had  formerly  lived  east  of  the  Mississippi  River. 
The  greater  part  of  the  land  was  given  to  Cherokees,  Choc- 
taws, Chickasaws,  Creek  and  Seminole  tribes.  The  Gov- 
ernment solemnly  agreed  that  this  territory  should  be  theirs 
forever,  and  free  from  the  laws  of  any  State  or  Territory. 

The  Creeks  traded  part  of  their  land  to  the  Seminoles, 
who  in  turn  sold  it  to  the  United  States  Government  for  15 
cents  per  acre,  in  order  that  other  Indians  might  be  located 
in  this  territory.  A portion  of  this  tract,  owned  by  the 
United  States,  was  not  occupied  by  the  Indians,  and  thus 
the  foundation  of  Oklahoma  laid.  In  i860  7,000,000  acres, 
known  as  the  Cherokee  Country,  was  purchased  of  the  In- 
dians, and  added  to  Oklahoma. 


326 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ALASKA  TERRITORY. 


b 

o 


C$ 


Location. 

Latitude  and  Longitude. 
Size. 


Oceans. 


| Arctic. 
( Pacific. 


Bering’s  Sea. 

Bristol  Bay. 

Bering’s  Strait. 

| Yukon. 

\ Porcupine. 
Alaskan  Mountains. 

f St.  Elias. 

( Fairweather. 


Rivers. 


< Peaks. 


( Cape  Prince  of  Wales. 
( Point  Barrow. 


Capes. 

Alaska  Peninsula. 

f St.  Lawrence. 

T i i I St.  Paul. 

Islands.  <j  Baranoff. 

I Pribyloff. 

City  of  Sitka. 

Fur. 

[ Fish. 

1 Timber. 

I Minerals* 


Products. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST.. 


The  area  of  Alaska  is  580,000  square  miles,  or  as  large  as 
that  part  of  the  United  States  lying  east  of  the  Mississippi 
River,  north  of  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas.  The  coast  line 
of  Alaska  is  long  enough  to  reach  around  the  world. 


TERRITORIES. 


327 


From  an  eastern  to  a western  limit  of  Alaska,  it  is  as  far 
as  New  York  is  from  San  Francisco. 

Alaska  is  the  great  island  region  of  the  United  States. 
Alexander  Archipelago  alone  contains  5,000 separate  islands. 
The  area  of  the  islands  of  Alaska  would  make  a State  as 
large  as  Maine. 

Alaska  contains  the  great  volcanic  s}^stem  and  the  great 
glacier  region  of  the  United  States.  On  one  occasion,  Sec- 
retary Seward  was  asked  what  he  considered  his  most  im- 
portant official  act.  His  reply  was:  “The  purchase  of 
Alaska.”  He  further  stated  that  the  people  cf  the  United 
States  didn’t  appreciate  the  magnitude  of  the  purchase,  and 
perhaps  wouldn’t  for  fifty  years. 

Alaska  is  the  great  reserve  lumber  region  of  the  United 
States.  There  are  thousands  of  square  miles  of  yellow 
cedar,  hemlock,  spruce,  and  balsam  fir. 

The  mineral  wealth  is  known  to  be  immense,  and  yet  it  is 
comparatively  undeveloped.  It  is  said  that  Alaska  could 
supply  the  entire  country  with  salmon,  cod  and  herring, 
and  other  kinds  of  fish. 

The  fur  bearing  land  animals  are  : bear,  otter,  beaver, 
mink,  lynx,  marten  and  others.  The  most  valuable  whale 
fisheries  are  off  the  coast  of  Alaska. 

The  population  is  about  30,000. 

JAPAN  CURRENT. 

The  remarkable  fact  that  southeastern  Alaska  has  had  a 
winter  temperature  similar  to  that  of  Tennessee,  and  a sum- 
mer temperature  like  that  of  Wisconsin,  is  due  to  the  gen- 
ial influence  of  the  warm  Japan  Current.  This  current, 
similar  in  many  respects  to  the  Gulf  Stream  of  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  is  smaller,  slower  and  cooler  than  the  Gulf  Stream. 
The  average  temperature  of  its  surface  waters,  'in  summer, 


328 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


is  about  70°  Fahr. , and  in  winter,  about  63°.  The  current 
originates  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Indian  Archipelago,  and 
flows  in  a northeasterly  direction  past  Japan.  Upon  reach- 
ing the  Aleutian  Archipelago  it  is  deflected  eastward,  and 
flows  south  along  the  west  shore  of  North  America.  No 
part  of  it  flows  through  Bering’s  Strait.  Thus  it  is  that 
the  western  coast  of  North  America  has  a milder  climate 
than  countries  of  the  same  latitude  on  the  eastern  coast. 

SITKA. 

Sitka,  the  chief  town  of  Alaska,  is  situated  on  the  Baranoff 
Island,  one  of  the  Alexander  Archipelago. 

There  are  about  1,000  residents.  This  place  has  a greater 
rainfall  than  any  other  locality  in  the  United  States.  In 
four  different  years,  within  the  last  45  years,  the  thermome- 
ter registered  lower  than  zero,  and  in  seven  different  years, 
higher  than  8o°,  Fahr.  Steamers  ply  between  Portland  and 
Sitka.  Coal  is  found  near  here.  The  entire  commerce  con- 
sists of  furs  and  fish. 

The  Greek  Church  is  the  religion  of  the  inhabitants. 

The  Government  Uand  Office  and  all  territorial  offices 
are  located  at  Sitka. 


YUKON  RIVER. 

The  Yukon  is  the  largest  river  of  America  flowing  into 
the  Pacific  Ocean. 

It  has  five  mouths  and  is  navigable  for  nearly  1,500  miles 
There  are  no  obstructions  in  this  river,  but  some  of  its  tribu- 
taries have  canons  with  perpendicular  walls  1,000  feet  high. 

The  pass  of  the  Yukon  River  through  the  mountains  pre- 
sents a grand  view.  The  river’s  current  is  deep  and  very 
swift. 


TERRITORIES. 


329 


CAVE  DWELLERS. 

South  of  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  there  is  an  island  where 
the  “ Cave  Dwellers  ’ ’ of  the  present  live.  The  rocky  sides 
of  the  island  rise  700  feet  above  the  ocean,  and  on  one  side, 
where  the  slope  is  about  45  degrees,  the  Innuits  have  exca- 
vated homes  in  the  rocks. 

There  are  forty  of  these  cliff  dwellings. 

These  people  are  noted  for  the  making  of  water-proof 
boots  from  the  skins  of  the  seals. 

ALASKAN  MOUNTAINS. 

This  range  of  mountains  extends  nearly  east  and  west 
through  the  Alaskan  peninsula.  This  same  range  extends 
into  the  ocean,  and  their  tops  form  the  Aleutian  Islands. 

Over  sixty  volcanoes  are  found  in  these  mountains  ; many 
of  them  are  active.  In  one  of  the  extinct  craters  is  found 
a vast  boiling  mineral  spring,  18  miles  in  circumference. 

The  natives  make  use  of  this  in  cooking  their  food. 

GLACIERS. 

Glaciers  are  numerous  in  Alaska. 

Mount  Fairweather  has  a glacier  that  extends  fifty  miles 
to  the  sea,  where  it  ends  in  a perpendicular  ice  wall,  300 
feet  high  and  eight  miles  wide.  There  is  another  glacier  in 
a deep  gulch,  which  is  40  miles  long,  5 miles  wide  and  1,000 
feet  deep. 

When  these  glaciers  are  broken  off  by  the  buoyant  power 
of  the  water,  they  form  immense  icebergs. 

FUR  SEAL  INDUSTRY. 

This  important  industry  is  confined  chiefly  to  the  Priby- 
loff  Islands,  St.  Paul  and  St.  George,  and  was  granted  to 


330 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


the  Alaska  Commercial  Co.,  for  the  consideration  of  an 
annual  rental  of  $55,000  for  the  islands,  and  a royalty  of 
$262,500  on  the  100,000  seal  skins,  which,  by  law,  are 
allowed  to  be  taken  each  year.  The  hunting  and  killing 
take  place  principally  in  the  months  of  June  and  July. 
Natives  are  employed  to  do  the  killing,  which  they  do  by 
means  of  clubs.  The  use  of  fire-arms  is  not  permitted,  for 
fear  of  frightening  away  the  seals.  Great  care  is  taken  that 
the  supply  shall  not  fail.  None  of  the  female  nor  young  seals 
are  disturbed  ; only  what  are  termed  the  * ‘ bachelor  ” seals 
are  killed.  Those  in  the  best  position  to  know  the  facts, 
confidently  affirm  that  so  long  as  the  present  restrictions  are 
observed,  there  is  no  danger  of  the  fur-bearing  seals  being 
exterminated. 

A REINDEER  FARM. 

The  United  States  Government  has  appointed  a retired 
army  officer  to  go  to  St.  Lawrence  Island,  in  the  Bering  Sea, 
to  take  charge  of  a station  about  to  be  established  there. 
The  Interior  Department  desires  to  have  a station  on  this 
island,  and  begin  the  breeding  of  reindeer  for  the  Innuits 
and  Esquimaux  to  use,  instead  of  dogs.  It  is  the  purpose 
of  the  Government  to  import  reindeer  from  Siberia  to  the 
island,  and  a number  of  Siberians  with  them,  to  teach  the 
natives  how  to  raise  and  care  for  the  animals.  A reindeer 
park  will  be  established,  and  as  soon  as  the  animals  are  ob- 
tained in  sufficient  numbers,  some  of  them  will  be  taken  to 
Alaska  and  distributed  among  the  people  in  that  country, 
and  thus  the  dogs,  now  used  for  sledging  in  the  United  States’ 
Arctic  possessions,  will  be  displaced  by  deer,  which  will 
form  nutritious  food  in  case  of  emergency,  whereas  dogs  do 
not  furnish  the  most  palatable  meat.  St.  Lawrence  Island 
is  about  thirty-six  miles  from  the  coast  of  Asia,  and  about 


TERRITORIES. 


331 


fifty  from  Alaska,  in  Bering  Sea.  An  Episcopal  Mission 
School  will  be  established  there,  and  sustained  under  the 
protection  of  the  Government. 

SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

442.  Horse  Tail. 

443.  Pillars  of  Hercules. 

444.  Candle  Fish. 

445.  Fifty- four  Forty,  or  Fight. 

446.  The  Great  Divide. 

447.  Snow  Slides. 

448.  Snow  Sheds. 

449.  The  Garden  Spot  of  Washington. 

450.  Sage  Plains. 

451.  Gentiles. 

452.  Avenging  Angels. 

453.  Mountain  Meadow  Massacre. 

454.  City  of  the  Saints. 

455.  The  Gila  Monster. 

456.  Casa  Grande. 

457.  Muddy  Salt  Mine. 

458.  The  Gates  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

459.  Mountain  Passes. 

460.  Mirage. 

461.  Eightning  Tubes. 

462.  The  Devil’s  Slide. 

463.  Cherokee  Outlet. 

464.  Oklahoma  Boomers. 

465.  Ancient  Pueblos. 

466.  The  Cliff  Dwellers. 

467.  Path-Finder  of  the  Rockies, 

468.  The  Sound  City. 


332 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


469.  Russian  America. 

470.  Refrigerator  of  the  United  States. 

471.  Seal  Rookeries. 

472.  Northwest  Passage. 

473.  Land  of  Desolation. 

474.  Arctic  Explorers. 

475.  Pan  American  Congress. 

ADDITIONAL  QUERIES. 

481.  What  city  formerly  supposed  to  be  in  Washington  is 
now  in  Idaho  ? 

482.  To  whom  does  Vancouver  Island  belong  ? 

483.  In  what  State  do  women  have  the  right  of  suffrage 
guaranteed  in  the  Constitution  of  the  State  ? 

484.  Where  is  there  a cave  of  pure  alabaster  found  ? 

485.  Which  Territory  has  the  hottest  climate? 

486.  What  city  is  slowly  moving  down  a mountain  side  ? 

487.  What  city  of  once  several  thousand  people  is  now 
almost  deserted? 

488.  Which  of  the  Western  States  has  been  decreasing  in 
population  ? 

489.  Are  there  fogs  along  the  Pacific  coast  ? 

490.  Where  is  the  largest  cattle  market  in  the  West  ? 

491.  What  are  the  mottoes  of  the  last  six  new  States  ? 

492.  What  is  the  Desert  Land  Law? 

493.  Why  has  Utah’s  admission  as  a State  been  denied? 

494.  How  is  it  proposed  to  reclaim  the  Colorado  desert  ? 

495.  Where  are  the  largest  Cattle  ranches  in  the  United 
States  ? 

496.  What  city  did  the  Indians  call  “The  Dancing 
Ground  of  the  Sun  ?” 

497.  What  tribes  of  Indians  are  the  most  savage  ? 


TERRITORIES. 


333 


498.  Of  what  use  is  the  cactus? 

499.  What  State  has  vast  deposits  of  salt  petre  ? 

500.  What  is  the  Indian  population  of  the  United  States? 

501.  Who  are  a few  of  the  great  writers  of  Western  scenes 
and  stories  ? 

502.  Are  the  slopes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  covered  with 
timber  ? 

503.  What  was  called  “Seward’s  Folly  ? ” 

504.  What  is  the  most  western  point  of  the  United 
States  ? Most  northern  ? 

505.  To  what  race  of  people  do  the  natives  of  Alaska 
belong  ? 

506.  Which  hemisphere  includes  Iceland  ? 

507.  How  is  it  expected  to  connect  Europe  and  America 
by  railroad  ? 

508.  How  wide  is  Bering’s  Strait  ? 

509.  Which  direction  does  the  current  flow? 

510.  What  is  the  metropolis  of  Alaska  ? 

51 1.  What  is  the  most  northern  town  in  the  world  ? 

512.  Are  the  shores  of  Greenland  slowly  rising  or  sink- 
ing? 

513.  What  evidences  are  there  that  Greenland  once  had  a 
tropical  climate  ? 

514.  What  causes  the  fogs  off  the  coast  of  Newfound- 
land ? 


Dominion  of  Canada  and  Newfoundland. 


334 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


DOMINION  OF  CANADA  AND 
NEWFOUNDLAND. 


Location. 

Area.  Comparative  size. 
Population. 

C Atlantic. 

Oceans.  < Pacific. 

(Arctic. 


Bays. 


Straits. 


Lakes. 


Rivers. 


' Hudson. 

Baffin’s. 

St.  Lawrence. 

Fundy. 

James. 

^ Georgian. 

f Belle  Isle, 
j Hudson. 

\ Davis. 

[Juan  de  Fuca. 

' Great  Bear. 

Great  Slave. 

-<  Winnipeg. 

Lake  of  the  Woods. 

^ 4 Great  Lakes. 

' Mackenzie. 

Nelson. 

-{  Red  River  of  the  North. 
| St.  Lawrence. 

[ Ottawa. 


General  Divisions. 


Peninsula. 


Labrador. 
Nova  Scotia. 


CANADA  AND  NEWFOUNDLAND. 


335 


Islands. 


" Queen  Charlotte. 
Vancouver. 
Newfoundland. 

ICape  Britain. 

Prince  Edward. 
Arctic  Archipelago. 


{Rocky. 

Cascade. 

Height  of  Eand. 


Peaks. 


Cities. 


Products. 


| Brown. 

{ Hooker. 

" Ottawa. 
Toronto. 
Montreal. 
Quebec. 
Halifax. 
St.  John. 
Winnipeg, 
Victoria. 


a • i ( Wild. 
Animal.  < ^ .. 

( Domestic, 

Vegetable. 

Minerals. 

Manufactured. 


v Government. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

Canada  is  larger  than  the  United  States,  having  an  ex- 
treme length  of  3,500  miles,  an  extreme  width  of  1,400 
miles,  and  an  area  of  3,610,000  square  miles. 

Many  thousands  of  acres  are  arable,  while  the  rest  is  valu- 
able for  magnificent  forests,  extensive  deposits  of  the  noted 
minerals,  or  for  the  production  of  fish  and  fur-bearing  ani- 
mals. It  has  a vast  system  of  lakes  and  rivers,  and  the 
settled  portions  have  good  railroad  facilities. 


336 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


OTTAWA. 

Ottawa,  or  Bytown,  as  it  was  first  called,  in  honor  of  its 
founder,  Colonel  By,  is  the  capital  of  the  Dominion  of 
Canada. 

It  is  located  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ottawa  River,  and 
is  divided  into  upper  and  lower  towns  by  the  Rideau  canal. 
This  canal  connects  Ottawa  with  Kingston. 

The  Government  buildings  are  large  and  beautiful  struct- 
ures, and  the  principal  objects  of  interest  to  the  tourist. 

The  lumber  trade  is  the  most  important  industry.  The 
city  also  has  many  manufactures  of  various  kinds,  which 
utilize  the  excellent  water  power  furnished  by  the  Chau- 
diere  falls,  40  feet  in  height. 

TORONTO. 

Toronto,  originally  called  York,  is  the  capital  of  Ontario, 
and  is  situated  on  the  north  shore  of  Take  Ontario. 

It  is  famous  for  its  elegant  public  buildings  and  excellent 
educational  institutions.  Among  the  latter  may  be  men- 
tioned: The  University  of  Toronto,  Trinity  University, 
McMaster’s  Hall,  Knox’s  College,  Trinity  Medical  School, 
Woman’s  Medical  School,  School  of  Practical  Science,  Nor- 
mal School,  etc.,  etc.  Toronto  has  excellent  railroad  facili- 
ties and  extensive  manufactories. 

QUEBEC. 

Quebec,  the  capital  of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  is  pictur- 
esquely located  on  the  left  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River, 
about  400  miles  from  its  mouth.  From  its  almost  impreg- 
nable fortress,  it  is  sometimes  called  “The  Gibraltar  of 
America.” 


CANADA  AND  NEWFOUNDLAND. 


337 


Ship  building,  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  and  of  boots 
and  shoes,  are  the  principal  occupations. 

It  would  be  well,  at  this  time,  to  refer  to  the  capture  of 
Quebec,  by  the  English,  in  1759. 

MONTREAL, 

Montreal  (Mount  Royal),  the  metropolis  of  Canada,  is 
built  on  the  south  side  of  the  island  of  Montreal  at  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Ottawa  and  St.  Lawrence  rivers.  It  is  at  the 
head  of  ocean  navigation  on  the  St.  Lawrence.  Since  it  has 
been  reached  by  a railway,  it  has  been  growing  rapidly.  It 
is  noted  for  being  the  seat  of  a large  number  of  public  benev- 
olent institutions,  [such  as  asylums,  orphans’  homes,  etc. 
Manufacturing  and  commerce  are  the  leading  industries. 

KINGSTON 

is  a thriving  city  on  Lake  Ontario.  It  is  the  seat  of  a Mili- 
tary College  and  is  sometimes  called  the  West  Point  of 
Canada.  The  Thousand  Islands  begin  near  Kingston  and 
afford  a popular  summer  resort. 

The  manufacture  of  ships,  engines,  locomotives  and  cars 
is  carried  on  extensively  at  this  place. 

VICTORIA, 

the  capital  of  the  Province  of  British  Colnmbia,  is  pleasantly 
located  on  the  southern  extremity  of  Vancouver’s  Island.  It 
has  a good  harbor.  It  has  a delightful  climate.  The  prin- 
cipal articles  of  export  are  gold,  coal,  timber,  dried  fish  and 
furs. 

WINNIPEG, 

the  capital  of  Manitoba  and  commercial  metropolis  of  west- 
ern Canada,  is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Red  River  of 
the  North  and  has  had  a remarkably  rapid  growth. 


338 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Up  to  the  year  of  1870,  it  was  simply  a trading  post  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company. 

The  country  around  Winnipeg  received  considerable  ad- 
vertisement at  that  time  by  the  troops  who  were  sent  there 
to  quell  an  insurrection  among  the  half-breeds. 

An  extensive,  fertile  tract  of  country  surrounds  Winnipeg, 
valuable  forests  are  near  at  hand,  navigable  rivers  extend 
north,  west  and  south,  and  its  railways  connect  it  with  all 
important  points. 


HALIFAX. 

Halifax,  the  capital  and  metropolis  of  Nova  Scotia,  is 
located  about  midway  of  the  province  on  the  southern  coast. 

Its  harbor  is  one  of  the  largest  and  best  in  the  world.  It 
is  the  principal  American  naval  station  of  Great  Britain  and 
is  protected  by  immense  fortifications.  It  is  the  seat  of  the 
British  military  headquarters  in  America.  Halifax  has  sev- 
eral good  colleges  and  many  benevolent  institutions,  such 
as  asylums  for  the  insane,  deaf  and  dumb  and  blind,  Or- 
phans’ Home,  Home  for  the  Aged,  Women’s  Home,  In- 
fants’ Home,  Victoria  Hospital,  etc. 

Its  healtful  location,  beautiful  scenery  and  historic  asso- 
ciations make  it  a desirable  place  to  visit. 

ST.  JOHN, 

an  important  seaport  of  New  Brunswick,  is  situated  on  the 
Bay  of  Fundy,  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John’s  River.  It  has 
a good  harbor  and  an  extensive  trade  both  with  the  United 
States  and  England.  No  other  Canadian  port  owns  so  many 
ships  as  St.  John. 

The  principal  articles  of  manufacture  and  export  are  lum- 
ber and  lime. 


CANADA  AND  NEWFOUNDLAND. 


339 


FREDERICKTON, 

the  capital  of  New  Brunswick,  is  located  at  the  head  of  navi- 
gation for  large  vessels  on  the  St.  John’s 'River,  about  85 
miles  from  the  Bay  of  Fundy. 

The  principal  industries  are  the  manufacture  of  lumber, 
lath,  shingles  and  railroad  ties. 

NEWFOUNDLAND. 

This  large  island,  the  nearest  to  Europe  of  the  American 
islands,  has  an  area  of  over  40,000  square  miles.  The  popu- 
lation is  not  large  and  the  interior  of  the  island  is  unsettled. 
The  principal  settled  portions  are  near  the  south  and  east 
coasts. 

Newfoundland  has  no  hills  over  3,000  feet  in  height.  It 
has  a few  large  lakes  and  very  many  small  ones. 

The  rivers  are  all  short  and  unnavigable  for  steamers.  The 
bays  and  harbors  are  numerous.  Newfoundland  has,  owing 
to  its  insular  position,  a milder  climate  than  there  is  on  the 
adjacent^continent.  The  forests  border  the  lakes  and  streams 
and  the  trees  are  not  very  large. 

The  principal  business  of  the  inhabitants  is  fishing.  The 
Grand  Banks,  east  of  Newfoundland,  is  an  oceanic  plateau 
about  600  miles  long  and  200  miles  wide.  The  water  on 
this  plateau  ranges  from  60  to  1,000  feet  in  depth  and 
swarms  with  fish,  especially  cod,  herring  and  salmon. 

The  cod  fishing  lasts  from  June  until  November.  The 
crops  and  vegetables  produced  are  those  common  to  the 
countries  of  the  temperate  zone. 

The  province  of  Newfoundland  includes  the  island  of  New- 
foundland and  the  region  north  of  it,  formerly  called 
Labrador. 


340 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ST.  JOHN’S, 

the  capital  and  principal  city  of  Newfoundland,  is  situated 
on  a peninsula  in  the  most  eastern  part  of  Newfoundland. 
It  has  an  excellent  harbor.  The  entrance  to  the  harbor, 
called  “The  Narrows,”  is  so  narrow  that  but  one  ship  can 
enter  at  a time. 

The  principal  trade  is  in  furnishing  supplies  to  the  fisher- 
men and  in  exporting  fish,  oil  and  seal. 


DANISH  AMERICA. 


o 

•G 

<D 

a 

• rH 

n 

a 

Q 


Latitude — Zones. 

Area — Population. 

^ f Atlantic. 

Oceans,  j Arctic. 

Baffin’s  Bay. 

Davis  Strait. 

{Greenland. 
Iceland. 
Disco. 

Mount  Hecla. 

Cape  Farewell. 

ILechenfels . 
Upernavik. 
Reikjavik. 
v List  of  animals. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 


Greenland  and  Iceland  are  called  Danish  America. 
Iceland  was  treated  of  in  Book  I,  on  pages  42  to  47  on 
Europe. 


DANISH  AMERICA. 


341 


The  climate  of  Greenland  is  severe,  snow  falls  every 
month  of  the  year.  In  the  summer  the  sun  never  sets  and 
during  winter  the  sun  is  not  seen  for  several  months. 

The  A urora  Borealis  is  seen  in  greater  splendor  here  than 
anywhere  else  in  the  world.  Only  the  scantiest  vegetation 
grows,  such  as  mosses  and  lichens,  which  furnish  food  for 
reindeer,  bears,  etc. 

The  Esquimaux  (Mongolians)  live  in  Greenland.  They 
live  in  houses  made  of  ice  and  snow  and  subsist  chiefly  on 
whale  and  seal  blubber. 

LIFE  IN  GREENLAND. 

The  following  is  condensed  from  the  talks  of  Miss  Olof 
Krarer,  a visitor  from  the  polar  regions,  who  has  lectured 
in  the  United  States. 

She  begins  by  telling  that  she  was  born  in  Greenland, 
that  her  height  is  just  40  inches,  and  in  her  country  she 
would  be  a tall  woman.  Her  father  is  just  one  inch  taller 
and  her  brothers,  sisters  and  mother  are  all  shorter  then 
she.  She  weighs  120  pounds. 

They  live  in  snow-houses,  with  rounded  tops.  They  are 
six  and  a half  feet  in  height,  and  as  large  as  two  good  sized 
chambers.  Thick,  soft  furs  carpet  the  floors,  and  the  one 
bed,  in  which  all  the  family  sleep,  is  also  of  fur.  And  the 
door,  which  leads  out  through  a long,  dark  snow-passage  to 
the  outside,  is  hung  with  several  fur  curtains.  As  an  in- 
stance of  how  cold  it  is  inside  the  houses,  Miss  Krarer  told 
us  that  when  they  are  building  them  they  fasten  the  fur 
carpets  down  by  placing  them  under  the  snow  wall,  and  as 
it  never  thaws  in  the  hut,  they  never  loosen  their  hold.  The 
walls  and  roof  of  the  hut  are  also  covered  with  furs.  They 
warm  the  furs  in  the  fire  and  this  melts  the  snow  enough 
for  them  to  get  a firm  hold  on  the  walls  and  ceiling.  There 


342 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


is  no  furniture  whatever  in  the  house,  no  utensils,  no  stove, 
no  dishes.  They  never  cook  anything,  but  eat  raw,  frozen, 
saltless  meat  and  blubber,  oil  and  blood.  The  only  food  they 
have  is  from  the  whale,  the  polar  bear,  the  seal  and  the  rein- 
deer. The  last-named  animal  is  quite  scarce,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  there  is  very  little  of  the  moss  upon  which  he  feeds 
in  Greenland.  Tor  a very  young  child  they  sometimes 
warm  a bone  in  the  blubber  fire,  and  this  is  the  nearest  ap- 
proach to  cooking  they  make. 

LIFE  IN  GREENLAND. 

The  children  have  no  playthings  and  are  not  allowed  to 
play  or  make  any  noise.  Their  parents  command  them  to 
sit  down  and  point  out  a place  at  the  floor,  and  there  they 
sit  shivering  until  permission  is  given  them  to  rise.  From 
the  constant  habit  of  folding  the  arms  to  keep  themselves 
warm,  their  arms  are  bowed  at  the  elbows.  The  children  are 
taught  to  be  kind  to  one  another  and  not  to  quarrel.  If  they 
are  naughty  their  parents  do  not  whip  them,  but  instead  put 
a piece  of  whalebone  into  the  fire,  and  heat  it  until  the  fat 
begins  to  sizzle.  Then  they  brand  them  with  it,  never,  how- 
ever, on  the  face.  It  is  a cruel  punishment,  and,  of  course, 
very  much  dreaded.  Miss  Krarer  still  carries  a mark  made 
in  this  way. 

When  a boy  is  fifteen  his  father  gives  him  a sleigh  and  a 
reindeer,  but  if  he  uses  them  to  go  sleigh-riding,  coasting 
down  hill  and  the  like,  instead  of  hunting,  they  are  taken 
away  from  him.  All  fun  seems  to  be  left  out  of  their  lives. 

A girl  never  goes  out  of  the  hut  except  with  her  parents 
until  she  is  married.  There  is  no  ‘ ‘ keeping  company  ’ ’ of 
little  boys  and  girls  and  young  men  and  maidens,  no  parties 
from  which  they  do  not  return  until  one  and  three  A.  m. 


DANISH  AMERICA. 


343 


When  a man  wants  a wife,  he  steals  her  from  her  home. 
If  he  is  caught  her  parents  kill  him.  But  if  he  suceeeds  in 
reaching  his  hut  in  safety  with  his  bride  he  is  considered  a 
smart  and  promising  young  man.  That  is  all  the  romance 
there  is  to  marriage.  There  is  no  other  ceremony,  but  he 
must  live  with  her  ever  afterward.  A man  who  deserts  his  wife 
is  killed;  and  these  are  the  only  offenses  for  which  the  death 
penalty  is  inflicted.  The  people  do  not  lie  or  steal  or  quarrel 
and  are  very  quiet.  They  do  not  talk  much,  having  very 
little  to  talk  about,  and  almost  no  ideas. 

They  have  no  money;  the  primitive  custom  of  borrowing 
and  lending  prevails,  and  is  sufficient  for  all  their  needs. 
The  people  are  very  kind  and  ready  to  lend  everything  they 
have.  There  are  no  rulers,  ministers,  lawyers  or  classes  of 
any  kind  in  Greenland.  The  only  distinction  is  rich  and 
poor.  The  rich  have  flint  to  start  their  fires  with  and  the 
poor  have  not,  and  that  is  all  the  difference  between  them. 

They  have  no  way  of  keeping  time.  Up  in  that  frozen 
land  the  sun  shines  four  months,  then  there  is  a month  of 
twilight,  then  six  months  of  darkness,  again  a month  of  twi- 
light and  so  on.  Oh,  but  it  is  a dreary  land,  nothing  but 
snow  and  ice  on  every  side!  Miss  Krarer  said  she  did  not 
know  how  it  came  to  be  called  Greenland;  she  never  saw 
anything  green  there.  The  nearest  approach  to  green  being 
the  brown  moss  on  which  the  reindeer  feeds.  Day  or  night 
it  is  equally  dark  in  the  hut,  and  the  only  light  they  have 
is  from  the  blubber  fire.  They  have  no  wood,  and  it  is  for 
light,  not  heat,  that  they  have  a fire.  They  have  no  heat 
but  what  the  body  gives.  Such  agony  as  they  endure  from 
the  bitter  cold  we  can  form  no  idea  of  whatever. 

They  have  absolutely  no  water,  never  wash  themselves  and 
never  drink  anything.  If  they  are  thirsty,  which  is  seldom, 
since  they  have  neither  salt,  sweets  nor  spices  of  any  kind, 


344 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


and  since  cold  does  not  occasion  thirst  to  any  extent,  they 
take  a bit  of  snow  in  their  mouths  and  let  it  melt.  They 
never  cut  or  comb  their  hair — in  fact  the  only  attention  paid 
to  the  body  is  an  occasional  oiling.  They  cut  their  meat 
with  a walrus  tusk,  and  this  is  the  only  knife  they  possess. 
With  it  they  mark  out  on  the  skins  the  patterns  of  their 
clothes  and  then  tear  them. 

The*  people  wear  suits  of  sealskin  when  they  are  in  the 
house,  and  when  they  go  out  they  put  on,  in  addition,  suits 
of  white  polar  bear  skin  with  the  fur  turned  out.  Fur  shoes, 
mittens,  hood,  and,  in  very  cold  weather,  a fur  covering  for 
the  face,  with  two  holes  for  the  eyes,  complete  their  pictur- 
esque costume.  In  cold  weather,  before  venturing  out,  the 
face  is  treated  to  a thick  coat  of  grease,  from  half  an  inch  to 
an  inch  in  thickness,  and  over  this  the  fur  veil  is  tied.  Babies 
wear  the  skin  of  very  young  seals,  and  are  carried  on  their 
mother’s  back,  as  the  Indian  squaws  carry  their  papooses, 
until  they  are  two  and  a half  years  old.  They  must  be  very 
tiny,  since  their  parents  are  so  small. 

The  people  grow  very  slowly,  not  attaining  their  full  size 
until  twenty-five.  Few  live  to  be  over  sixty,  and  are  then 
apparently  as  old  as  people  of  ninety  in  this  country.  The 
prevailing  disease  is  consumption,  owing  to  the  intense  cold 
and  the  foul  smoky  air  of  the  huts,  which  are  never  venti- 
lated. Her  mother  died  of  this  disease  shortly  after  reach- 
ing Iceland. 

“In  my  country,  ’’she  said,  “they  pay  no  attention  to  the 
sick.  They  say  spirits  have  them,  and  they  hate  them.  All 
they  will  do  is  to  throw  them  a piece  of  blubber  as  they 
would  to  a dog.  If  the  sick  people  get  well  they  are  smart, 
if  they  die  they  are  good,  and  they  are  just  thrown  into  a 
hole  in  the  snow.  Their  furs  and  spears  are  thrown  in  with 
them,  and  no  matter  how  much  they  are  needed  the  people 


DANISH  AMERICA. 


345 


never  go  to  get  them  back;  for  in  my  country,  when  men 
and  women  are  dead  we  don’t  want  any  more  to  do  with 
them.” 

The  Greenlanders  are  heathens,  and  believe  that  if  they 
are  good  they  will  at  death  be  turned  into  spirits  living  in  a 
nice  warm  land,  but  if  bad  they  will  be  sent  to  a land  colder 
even  than  Greenland. 

When  fifteen  years  of  age  she  went  to  Iceland  with  her 
parents  and  her  brothers  and  sisters.  They  went  with  a 
party  of  shipwrecked  sailors  and  traveled  over  the  frozen 
seas  on  sledges  drawn  by  dogs  a distance  of  1,000  miles  al- 
most due  south.  So  you  see  how  far  north  she  lived  when 
Iceland  was  nearly  1,000  miles  south.  In  Iceland  she  was 
taken  into  the  Mission  School  and  taught.  Here  she  found 
a civilization  and  a state  of  society  hitherto  undreamed  of 
by  her. 

She  was  a very  black,  dirty,  repulsive  object  and  the  kind 
people  gave  her  some  soap  to  wash  herself  with.  But  not 
understanding  its  use  she  put  it  into  her  mouth.  She  was 
greatly  surprised  when  she  saw  persons  bathing  and  did  not 
know  what  to  make  of  it. 

Her  hair  is  a light  brown  and  her  complexion  is  neither 
fair  nor  dark.  Her  eyes  are  large  and  mild,  and  her  face  is 
rather  heavy,  but  brightens  when  she  smiles,  and  her  gen- 
eral appearance  is  quite  Teutonic.  When  she  went  to  Ice- 
land her  face  was  as  dark  as  an  Indian’s  and  her  hair  coal- 
black  from  smoke  and  grease.  They  have  no  chimneys  in 
their  houses  and  the  smoke  settles  on  everything.  If  any- 
thing touched  her  hair  it  received  a black,  greasy  daub. 
Shortly  after  her  arrival  in  the  country  she  had  a fever  and 
her  hair  was  cut  off.  Then,  after  repeated  and  vigorous 
washings  with  soap  and  water,  the  scalp  became  clean,  and 
when  her  hair  grew  out  it  had  its  present  color. 


346 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


After  a residence  of  five  years  in  Iceland,  during  which 
she  learned  to  speak  the  Icelandic  language,  she  went  to 
Manitoba,  and  thence  to  the  United  States  via  Wisconsin. 
In  Wisconsin  she  lived  in  a room  cooled  with  ice  until  she 
became  acclimated. 


United  States  of  Mexico.  il  Italy  of  America.” 

Greasers.  ” ‘ ‘ Land  of  the  Montezumas. 


UNITED  STATES  OF  MEXICO. 


347 


UNITED  STATES  OF  MEXICO. 


r Latitude  and  Zone. 
Area  and  Population. 
Pacific  Ocean. 


Caribbean  Sea. 


Gulfs. 


' California. 
Mexico. 
Tehuantepec. 
^ Campeche. 


Lake  Tescuco. 


Yucatan  Channel. 


Rivers.  { G"ande 
( Colorado. 

Divisions  28. 


Peninsulas.  { we,r  California- 
( Yucatan. 

Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec. 

f Corrientes. 

1 San  Lucas. 
Mountains  Sierra  Madre. 


Capes. 


Peaks. 


Cities. 


Products. 


| Popocatapetl. 

( Iztaccihuatl. 

' Mexico. 

Vera  Cruz. 
Matamoras. 
Tampico. 
Acapulco. 
Mazatlan. 
f Animal. 

J Vegetable. 

] Mineral, 
t Manufactured. 


348 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

476.  Cordilleras. 

477.  Tierra  Calientes. 

478.  Tierra  Templades. 

479.  Tierra  Fria. 

480.  Venice  of  the  Aztecs. 

481.  The  Floating  Gardens. 

482.  Calendar  Stone. 

483.  The  Pyramids. 

484.  Inquisition. 

485.  National  Library. 

486.  Tehuantepec  Canal. 

487.  Volcanoes. 

488.  Vermilion  Sea. 

489.  Sacrificial  Stone. 

490.  Plateau  of  Mexico. 

491.  Echoing  Cave. 

492.  “Gulf  of  Cortes.” 

493.  City  of  the  True  Cross. 

494.  Yellow  Jack. 

495.  Maximilian. 

QUERIES. 

515.  Why  is  navigation  along  the  coast  of  Mexico  dan- 
gerous ? 

5 1 6.  How  many  mints  in  Mexico  ? 

5 1 7.  Who  were  the  Toltecs  ? 

518.  What  deity  did  the  Aztecs  worship  ? 

519.  When  did  Vera  Cruz  undergo  sieges? 

520.  What  are  the  principal  amusements  of  the  Mexicans? 

521.  Whom  did  the  Aztecs  call  the  White  Gods? 


UNITED  STATES  OF  MEXICO. 


349 


522.  How  did  the  Aztecs  divide  time  ? 

523.  What  became  of  the  records  of  the  Aztecs? 

524.  At  what  city  were  thousands  of  human  beings  sacri- 
ficed annually  ? 

525.  Which  city  is  surrounded  by  a wall  ? 

526.  What  mineral  is  obtained  from  the  crater  of  Popo- 
cacapetl  ? How  ? 

527.  Who  wrote  the  “Conquest  of  Mexico?’’ 

528.  What  names  will  ever  remind  us  of  the  Aztecs  ? 

529.  What  are  Tortillas ? Peons? 

530.  Which  is  the  most  active  volcano  ? 

531.  Where  are  noted  battlefields  in  Mexico  ? 

532.  What  are  the  prevalent  diseases  in  this  country  ? 

533.  Who  was  the  “Washington  of  Mexico?” 

534.  Make  a good  list  of  exports.  Ditto  imports. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

THE  CENTURY  PLANT. 

The  Agave  Americana  or  Century  Plant,  called  maguey 
in  South  America,  and  mezcal  in  Mexico,  attains  its  full 
growth  in  from  ten  to  seventy  years,  according  to  climate 
and  locality.  The  stem  reaches  a height  of’thirty  to  forty 
feet,  sending  out  branches  which  are  crowded  with  flowers. 
These  flowers  bloom  but  once,  but  continue  to  bloom  for 
months  ; when  the  blossoms  fall  the  plant  soon  dies. 

The  agave  furnished  meat,  drink,  clothing  and  writing 
material  for  the  Aztecs. 

The  Mexicans  make  pulque , the  national  beverage,  from 
its  sap,  which,  if  distilled,  becomes  highly  intoxicating. 


350 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


SISAL  HEMP. 

Sisal  grass,  or  pita  flax,  is  a plant  whose  leaf  fibers  are 
used  in  making  a coarse  thread.  The  flower  stems  are  used 
for  thatching,  and  the  thorns  furnish  a substitute  for  nails. 

An  extract  from  the  leaves  will  lather  with  water  like 
soap. 

The  pith  of  the  stem  makes  a good  hone  for  a razor.  The 
fibers  will  make  an  excellent  rope. 

The  leaves  made  the  paper  upon  which  the  Aztecs  kept 
their  history. 

FIRST  PRINTING. 

The  first  printing  press  set  up  in  America  was  established 
in  the  City  of  Mexico,  in  1536,  under  the  direction  of  the 
first  Mexican  Viceroy,  Mendoza.  (See  American  Encyclo- 
pedia). 

“ The  Spiritual  Ladder,”  a school  manual,  was  printed 
over  one  hundred  years  before  any  printing  in  the  United 
States.  It  is  stated  that  ninety  books  were  printed  previous 
to  1600. 

CONQUEST  OF  MEXICO. 

Cortez  found  Mexico  half  conquered  by  an  old  tradition. 
It  was  taught  in  their  temples,  and  believed  by  all,  that  a 
race  of  white  men  would  come  to  rule  them. 

The  Spaniards,  clothed  in  arrow-proof  garments,  armed 
with  fire  bolts  from  Heaven,  sealed  the  truth  of  this  predic- 
tion, and  the  Mexicans  bowed  in  helpless  submission  to  the 
wonderful  strangers. 

POPULATION. 

Of  the  10,000,000  people  three-fourths  are  lndians,  two- 
thirds  of  whom  cannot  read  or  write,  nor  ever  had  an  ances- 
tor who  could  ; who  never  slept  on  a bed,  > or  wore  a stock- 


UNITED  STATES  OF  MEXICO. 


351 


in g,  and  who  are  accustomed  to  live  at  a less  expense  per 
day  than  a farm  horse  in  any  New  England  State. 

COCHINEAL. 

The  cochineal  insect  is  one  of  the  staple  products  of 
Mexico.  It  lives  on  the  cactus  plant.  It  takes  70,000  of 
these  insects,  when  dried,  to  make  one  pound  of  dye,  yet 
the  exports  amount  to  millions  of  dollars.  This  dye  is  used 
in  coloring  silks  and  artificial  flowers  ; also  in  making  red 
ink  (carmine)  and  rouge. 

PYRAMIDS. 

The  great  Pyramid  of  Cholula  covers  over  forty  acres. 

The  '‘House  of  the  Sun,”  and  “ House  of  the  Moon” 
each  occupies  over  ten  acres. 

There  are  great  numbers  of  these  pyramids,  and  the 
country  can  truly  be  called  “The  Egypt  of  America.” 

A CURIOUS  TREE. 

Among  the  famous  trees  there  is  one  called  ‘ ‘ El  Arbol 
de  los  Manitos,”  or  The  Tree  of  the  Tittle  Hand.” 
Very  few  of  these  trees  exist.  Its  properties  are  medici- 
nal, but  its  most  remarkable  features  are  that  its  flowers 
resemble  a hand.  The  stamens  form  the  wrist  and  palm,  and 
then  separate  into  five  red  fingers. 

COZUMEL. 

Cozumel,  an  island  off  the  coast  of  Yucatan,  is  noted  for 
its  mines.  The  Mexicans  made  pilgrimages  there  to  wor- 
ship the  idols  in  the  temple,  the  ruins  of  which  may  still  be 
seen. 

MEXICAN  INDIANS. 

The  Indian  population  numbers  6,000,000,  one-half  of 
which  are  nomadic  tribes.  Most  of  them  are  indolent,  but 


352 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


some  of  the  tribes  are  skillful  in  the  manufacture  of  clay 
and  rag  figures. 

Their  chief  food  consists  of  corn,  pounded  and  made  into 
a hard,  flat  cake,  which  is  used  for  a plate,  when  anything 
else  is  eaten.  These  Indians  boil  a kind  of  fly,  found  in 
the  marshes,  pound  it  into  a paste  and  then  eat  it.  They 
eat  water  lizards  and  the  larvae  of  worms. 

They  are  very  loth  to  accept  the  better  methods  of  the 
white  people,  and  tenaciously  hold  to  the  customs  of  their 
ancestors. 

Take  short  statements  like  the  following,  and  require 
pupils  to  formulate  questions  to  correspond  to  them: 

Three- fourths  of  Mexico  is  a table  land. 

The  Toltics  were  noted  for  feather  work. 

Mexico  uses  the  Metric  System. 

Take  Tezcuco  is  salt  water.  (Is  this  the  highest  salt  water 
lake  in  the  world  ?) 

Mesquite  roots,  pine  and  coal  blocks  brought  from  Wales 
as  ballast,  are  used  as  fuel  for  the  railroads. 

Mexico  has  two  submarine  telegraphs,  one  to  Havana  and 
the  other  to  Galveston. 

Cone  shaped  stones  painted  white  are  the  legal  land 
marks. 

There  is  a peak  called  “ Buffalo  Mountain,”  from  its  fan- 
cied resemblance  to  that  animal. 

Everywhere  may  be  be  seen  small  crosses  stuck  in  the 
ground;  these  indicate  where  some  one  has  gone  to  his  eter- 
nal home. 

The  Gulf  Stream  passes  through  the  Yucatan  channel  at 
a velocity  of  one  mile  in  four  hours.  It  is  computed  to  be 
1,000  fathoms  deep.  (How  is  depth  ascertained?) 


UNITED  STATES  OF  MEXICO. 


353 


“■  Montezuma’s  Cypress,”  over  fifty  feet  in  circumference, 
is  in  the  park  which  surrounds  Chapultepec  (Hill  of  the 
Grasshopper). 

“ Montezuma  Cave,  ” where  the  ill-fated  monarch  made 
his  escape,  is  still  shown  to  the  visitors  of  this  castle. 

The  Hot  Springs,  at  Aguas  Calientes,  furnish  an  abund- 
ant supply  of  water  for  bath  houses,  and  a ditch  has  been 
walled  up  with  stone,  where  the  poorer  classes  of  people 
obtain  hot  water  for  laundry  purposes. 

The  Mexican  Empire  abounded  in  all  kinds  of  paintings; 
paintings  of  history,  maps,  portraits  of  kings  and  queens ; 
mythology,  and  the  mysteries  of  their  religion. 

Under  the  name  of  vandalism  and  superstitition,  these 
were  gathered  into  a heap  and  set  on  fire  ; thus  perished  in 
ashes  the  memory  of  many  interesting  and  curious  events. 

ONE  METHOD. 

Place  a list  of  words,  like  the  following,  on  the  board  : 


Indigo. 

Cloves. 

Chocolate. 

Cinnamon. 

Sarsaparilla. 

Pepper. 

Vanilla. 

Mace. 

Mahogany. 

Allspice. 

Vegetable  ivory. 

Cork. 

Manioc. 

Creosote. 

Jalap. 

Nutmeg. 

Coffee. 

Rubber. 

Tea. 

Tapioco. 

These  are  all  articles  of  commerce.  Do  you  know  from 
what  part  of  the  plant  or  tree  they  are  obtained  ? Is  it  made 
from  the  Roots  ? Fruit?  Sap?  Leaves?  Blossoms?  Bark? 
Fiber? 

Give  use  of  each. 


354 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


NOTE  TO  TEACHERS. 

The  reader  will  notice  the  absence  of  the  descriptions  of 
any  cities  of  Mexico,  while  in  the  Dominion  of  Canada  the 
items  of  interest  are  all  towns. 

This  is  intentional,  for  space  will  not  permit  descriptions 
of  all  cities  and  all  objects  of  interest  in  all  countries. 
Many  of  the  descriptions  omitted  are  important  and  should 
be  dwelt  upon  by  the  teacher. 

Those  which  are  most  easily  found  and  generally  known 
are  not  written. 


Central  America. 


CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


355 


CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


Location. 

Latitude  and  Longitude. 
Pacific  Ocean. 
Carribbean  Sea. 


1 


n ir  f Honduras. 

Gulfs-  | Mosquito. 

Lake  Nicaragua. 

San  Juan  River. 


Divisions. 


f Balize. 

; Guatemala. 

J Honduras. 

' San  Salvador. 

Nicaragua. 

^ Costa  Rica. 


Sierra  Madre  Mountains. 


Volcanoes.  { p^go. 
Isthmus  of  Panama. 


Cape — Gracias  a Dios. 


Cities. 


"New  Guatemala. 
Balize. 

San  Salvador. 

Tegucigalpa. 

Monagua. 

San  Jose. 


{Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 


356 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

BALIZE. 

British  Honduras  or  Balize  is  a colony  of  Great  Britain. 
It  is  noted  for  the  fine  forests  of  Mahogany  and  other  valu- 
able woods.  Cochineal,  sugar  and  fruits  are  articles  of 
commerce.  The  inhabitants  are  mostly  blacks.  The  coast 
is  low  and  swampy  and  the  climate  is  very  hot  and  un- 
healthful for  white  people. 

Balize  is  the  capital  and  it  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  cleanest 
cities  of  America.  The  streets  are  cleaned  and  kept  in  repair 
by  prison  convicts. 

MAHOGANY  TREE. 

Mahogany  trees  are  the  most  valuable  of  all  the  trees  of 
the  tropical  forests. 

This  tree  grows  to  a height  of  over  90  feet  on  the  low 
lands  and  the  wood  is  hard,  close-grained  and  of  a dark  red 
color.  It  is  used  for  cabinet  purposes  mainly.  A single 
tree  which  cut  three  logs,  15  feet  long  by  38  inches  square, 
sold  for  $15,000. 

A logging  camp  in  this  region  is  a novel  sight.  The  men 
are  limited  in  their  daily  tasks  and  are  paid  more  or  less  ac- 
cordingly as  the  limit  of  work  is  accomplished. 

The  work  is  done  at  night,  owing  to  the  extreme  heat. 
The  ox  teams  with  their  half-naked  drivers,  each  of  which 
carries  a flaming  torch,  the  clanking  chains  and  the  crack- 
ing of  the  whips  in  forests  at  midnight  present  a scene  pecul- 
iar to  this  country  alone. 

GUATEMALA. 

Guatemala  is  noted  for  its  coffee,  cocoa-nut,  banana  and 
pine-apple  plantations.  The  luxuriant  forests  abound  in 
cabinet  and  dye  woods.  The  soil  is  very  fertile. 


CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


357 


In  1541  the  City  of  Guatemala  (old  city)  was  destroyed 
by  a torrent  of  hot  water  that  burst  from  the  mountain  and 
deluged  the  adjacent  plain,  destroying  the  city  and  in- 
habitants. 

Another  city  was  built  by  the  Spaniards,  which  exceeded 
in  size  and  wealth  any  other  of  the  Spanish  capitals  except 
the  city  of  Mexico.  This  city  existed  232  years,  when  an 
earthquake  left’its  massive  buildings  in  ruins,  which  remain 
to  this  day.  New  Guatemala,  the  present  capital,  contains 
a few  industries  and  small  factories.  Its  paved  streets,  its 
grand  buildings  and  baths,  its  military  barracks  and  public 
squares  make  it  one  of  the  finest  cities  of  Latin  America. 

President  Barrios  has  done  much  to  improve  the  condition 
of  this  republic. 

Copan,  an  ancient  city  of  Guatemala,  is  noted  for  the  won- 
derful ruins.  The  walls  of  a temple,  624  feet  long,  the  col- 
ossal statues,  the  sculptured  idols  and  altars,  excited  the 
wonder  of  the  Spaniard,  who  failed  to  find  any  history  of 
their  origin. 

HONDURAS. 

This  republic  is  mountainous  and  contains  great  mineral 
wealth  of  many  kinds.  It  has  .some  good  agricultural  land 
and  dense  forests  of  valuable  timber.  Sugar  cane  yields  two 
or  three  crops  in  one  year. 

Tegucigalpa,  the  metropolis  of  Honduras,  is  situated  on  a 
lofty  table  land  in  the  vicinity  of  gold,  silver  and  copper 
mines. 


SAN  SAVADOR. 

The  smallest,  but  most  populous  of  Central  American  re- 
publics is  San  Salvador.  Coffee,  tobacco,  rubber  and  indigo 
are  the  staple  articles  of  commerce. 


358 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Volcanic  eruptions  and  earthquakes  are  of  frequent  oc- 
currence. 

San  Salvador  produces  large  quantities  of  the  world-fam- 
ous Balsam  of  Peru,  which  is  collected-by  the  Indians  along 
what  is  known  as  the  Balsam  Coast.  The  chief  city  is  San 
Salvador,  which  is  surrounded  by  fine  sugar  and  indigo 
plantations.  This  city  has  manufactures  of  various  kinds 
and  quite  an  extensive  commerce.  Education  receives  more 
attention  here  than  elsewhere  in  Central  America. 

NICARAGUA. 

Nicaragua  is  the  largest  of  the  Central  American  states. 

This  republic  includes  a strip  of  territory,  known  as  the 
Mosquito  Coast  or  Reservation. 

Stock  raising  is  an  important  industry.  This  country  is 
the  scene  of  Walker’s  filibustering  scheme.  Monagua,  the 
capital,  is  built  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Nicaragua.  Leon,  the 
metropolis,  is  a Pacific  port  of  entry,  while  Graytown  is  the 
principal  eastern  port. 

The  Nicaragua  ship-canal,  which  has  received  a charter 
from  the  United  States  and  right-of-way  through  Nicaragua, 
is  attracting  considerable  attention. 

COSTA  RICA. 

Costa  Rica  (rich  coast)  is  the  most  southern  of  the  Central 
American  republics.  Columbus  landed  here  on  his  third 
voyage,  and  from  a mountain  top,  Balboa,  first  saw  the  South 
Sea.  The  Atlantic  slope  is  low  and  covered  with  dense  for- 
ests, while  the  Pacific  is  comparatively  high.  The  products, 
the  people,  the  religion  of  all  these  republics  are  much  alike. 
Pearls  are  found  along  the  coasts.  From  Eimon,  a port  of 
entry,  great  quantities  of  fruit  are  shipped  to  the  United 
States. 


WEST  INDIES. 


359 


The  famous  Spanish  gold  mine  of  Trinidad  is  within  a 
few  miles  of  Punta  Arenas,  a port  of  entry  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  which  ships  considerable  indigo.  Coffee  is  the  staple 
article  of  production.  San  Jose  is  the  capital. 


WEST  INDIES. 


£ 


Location  and  zones. 
Area  and  population. 
Atlantic  Ocean. 
Caribbean  Sea. 

Gulf  of  Mexico. 


Straits. 

Greater  Antilles. 

Lesser  Antilles. 
Bahamas.  (600). 

Cities. 

Products. 


" Florida. 

J Yucatan. 

J Windward. 

^ Mona. 

" Cuba. 

Hayti. 

Jamaica. 

Porto  Rico, 
f Leeward  Islands. 

{ Windward  Islands. 

" Havana. 

Matanzas. 

San  Domingo. 

1 Kingston. 

San  Juan. 

St.  Thomas. 
^Nassau. 

Animal. 

Vegetable. 

Mineral. 


360 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


SUGGESTIVE  KEY  WORDS. 

496.  Queen  of  the  Antilles. 

497.  Land  of  Springs. 

498.  Land  of  High  Hills. 

499.  Caribs. 

500.  Arrowroot. 

501.  Lightning  Spring  Beetle. 

502.  The  Pearl  of  the  Antilles. 

503.  West  India  Goods. 

504.  Bahama  Banks. 

QUERIES. 

535.  What  is  the  oldest  town  in  the  New  World? 

536.  Which  island  is  noted  for  its  marble  ? 

537.  What  is  rum?  How  made. 

538.  Name  the  most  densely  settled  island  in  the  world. 

539.  Where  are  the  best  cigars  manufactured  ? 

540.  What  island  noted  for  the  production  of  vegetables  ? 

541.  What  nations  own  islands  in  the  West  Indies? 

542.  What  island  is  noted  for  salt  ? 

543.  Does  the  United  States  own  any  of  the  West  Indies  ? 
If  so,  which  Islands  ? 

544.  How  is  Cuba  governed  ? 

545.  What  seasons  in  the  West  Indies? 

'ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

THE  BAHAMA  ISLANDS. 

The  Bahama  Archipelago  consists  of  a chain  of  islands 
east  of  Florida,  belonging  to  England.  There  are  over  600 
of  them,  but  only  about  a dozen  of  them  are  inhabited. 
Much  fruit  is  raised  here.  The  climate  is  beneficial  to  con- 
sumptives. 


WEST  INDIES. 


361 


The  first  land  discovered  by  Columbus  is  in  this  group, 
but  there  is  a difference  of  opinion  as  to  which  island.  The 
Spaniards  carried  off  the  natives  of  these  islands  to  work  in 
the  mines  and  pearl  fisheries.  In  the  more  southern  islands 
are  natural  salt  ponds  of  great  value.  Spanish  Wells,  on  an 
island  of  the  same  name,  is  one  of  the  most  curious  spots  of 
the  entire  region.  The  houses  are  built  on  high  posts,  to 
protect  the  people  from  the  incursions  of  the  wandering 
crabs,  which  live  among  the  rocks,  and  move  over  the  island 
at  night  in  such  vast  numbers  that  they  destroy  every  edi- 
ble thing  they  can  find. 

The  sub-marine  gardens  form  a very  interesting  scene. 

Far  down  in  the  clear,  green  water  wave  brilliant  sea 
grass,  sea  fans,  flowers  and  vines. 

Through  this  marine  shrubbery  and  the  coral  grottoes  play 
many  species  of  fish,  from  the  golden  minnow  to  ponderous 
fishes  of  500  pounds  weight.  Conches  and  shell  fish  of  all 
kinds  abound. 


NASSAU. 

Nassau,  the  capital  of  the  colony  of  the  Bahamas,  is  built 
on  the  north  side  of  New  Providence  Island.  The  city  is  a 
popular  winter  resort  for  invalids  and  pleasure  seekers.  The 
sponge  trade  is  important.  There  are  many  objects  of  in- 
terest found  in  this  locality.  The  caves,  Banyan  tree,  palm 
trees,  silk  cotton  tree,  and  the  life  plant.  If  a leaf  of  this 
plant  be  broken  off  and  pinned  to  the  wall,  it  will  thrive  and 
grow  so  rapidly  as  to  produce  shoots  and  leaves  enough  to 
cover  the  side  of  a large  room.  The  harbor  at  Nassau  was 
used  by  the  Confederates  as  a stopping  place  for  the  blockade 
runners  during  the  Rebellion. 


362 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


BERMUDA  ISLANDS. 

These  islands  are  located  in  vicinity  of  32°  north  latitude, 
and  63°  west  longitude,  or  about  600  mi.  east  of  South 
Carolina. 

They  are  not  included  in  the  West  Indies,  but  are  con- 
trolled directly  by  the  British  crown. 

St.  George  has  an  excellent  harbor  and  is  strongly  forti- 
fied. 

Dangerous  coral  reefs  encircle  these  islands,  except  where 
the  English  have  blasted  an  entrance  to  St.  George’s  harbor. 

The  longest  floating  dock  in  the  world  is  at  Bermuda.  It 
is  380  feet  long  and  123  feet  in  breadth. 

The  Bermuda  Islands  are  noted  for  the  vegetables  pro- 
duced. 

There  are  no  good  wells  nor  fresh  water  streams  here. 

Rain  water,  collected  in  tanks,  is  the  only  source  of  drink- 
ing water.  The  houses  are  built  of  blocks  of  coral,  which 
a single  frost  would  cause  to  crumble. 

CUBA. 

Cuba  is  the  most  important  colony  of  Spain,  and  the  largest 
of  the  West  India  Islands — about  the  size  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  soil  is  fertile  and  products  various.  The  island  is 
rich  in  mineral  resources  and  productions  of  the  forests. 
Monkeys,  alligators,  lizards,  turtles,  birds  and  fishes  of  many 
species,  tarantulas  and  scorpions,  abound  on  this  island. 

The  three  great  staple  articles  of  Cuba  are  sugar,  tobacco 
and  rum. 

Two  crops  of  corn  are  matured  here  in  one  year. 

Only  once  in  the  known  history  of  Cuba  has  snow  fallen, 
that  of  December  24-25,  1856.  The  climate  is  generally  con- 
sidered healthful. 


WEST  INDIES. 


363 


King  tells  us  that  children  go  to  school  from  7 to  9 in  the 
morning,  and  4 to  6 in  the  evening.  Owing  to  the  warm 
weather  there  is  no  session  in  the  middle  of  the  day. 

The  heat  causes  terrible  storms,  called  hurricanes,  which 
do  an  immense  amount  of  damage. 

HAVANA. 

Havana,  the  capital  of  Cuba  and  metropolis  of  the  West 
Indies,  is  situated  on  one  of  the  best  harbors  in  the  world, 
on  the  northwestern  shore  of  the  island.  In  foreign  com- 
merce it  ranks  next  to  New  York. 

It  is  the  world’s  greatest  sugar  market,  and  has  the  name 
of  producing  the  most  celebrated  cigars. 

The  city  consists  of  the  old  or  walled  town,  and  the  new 
one  built  beyond.  It  is  strongly  guarded  by  six  forts. 

Christopher  Columbus  reposed  here  nearly  100  years,  un- 
til 1887,  when  his  remains  were  placed  on  board  an  Italian 
ship,  and  conveyed  to  Genoa,  with  great  ceremony. 

There  are  numerous  churches,  convents,  schools,  and 
many  public  buildings  in  Havana. 

HAYTI. 

The  Island  of  Hayti,  formerly  called  Hispaniola,  is  com- 
posed of  two  independent  States,  the  Republic  of  Hayti,  in 
the  west,  and  San  Domingo,  in  the  eastern  part. 

Mineral  wealth  abounds  here,  but  at  present  it  is  unde- 
veloped. Mineral  springs  and  lakes  are  numerous. 

The  vegetation  is  of  a tropical  character.  Coffee,  cotton, 
sugar  cane,  tobacco,  indigo  and  cocoa,  are  the  chief  articles 
of  export.  Turtles,  lobsters,  oysters  and  crabs,  are  com- 
mon along  the  coast.  Columbus  founded  Isabella,  on  the 


364 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


north  shore,  in  December,  1492.  The  Buccaneers  infested 
this  region  in  its  early  history. 

The  language  of  these  republics  is  French,  and  religion 
Roman  Catholic.  Port  au  Prince  is  the  capital  of  Hayti, 
and  San  Domingo  of  the  eastern  republic. 

JAMAICA. 

Jamaica  is  the  largest  of  the  British  possessions  in  the 
West  Indies.  Hurricanes  and  earthquakes  frequently  occur. 

The  remains  of  one  city,  and  all  its  inhabitants,  lies  50 
feet  under  the  sea,  the  result  of  an  earthquake. 

The  soil  is  not  so  fertile  as  the  other  islands,  yet  ground 
fruits  are  plentiful.  The  forest  products  are  important. 

Kingston,  the  capital,  has  a very  large  and  commodious 
harbor. 

WINDWARD  ISLANDS. 

Barbadoes  is  the  most  important  of  the  Windward 
Islands.  It  belongs  to  England.  Coral  reefs  almost  en- 
circle the  island.  Bridgetown  is  the  capital,  containing  20,- 
000  people. 

Trinidad,  the  largest  of  the  group,  is  noted  for  its  mud 
volcanoes  and  remarkable  pitch  lake.  This  lake  is  near  the 
coast,  and  the  pitch  is  hard  at  the  sides,  but  in  the  center  it 
is  constantly  boiling.  Pitch  is  extensively  exported. 

Margarita  and  Tortuga  belong  to  Venezuela.  They 
produce  salt. 

Martinique  is  a French  possession.  There  are  six  dis- 
tinct volcanoes  on  this  island.  Sugar,  coffee,  cotton  and 
cocoa  are  produced. 

St.  Vincent  has  a volcano  3,000  feet  high. 

The  crater  is  three  miles  in  circumference  and  500  feet 
deep. 


WEST  INDIES. 


335 


LEEWARD  ISLANDS. 

St.  Thomas  and  St.  John  belong  to  Denmark.  St. 
Thomas,  the  capital,  is  noted  for  being  a free  port.  It  has 
telegraph  lines  to  the  continent.  The  trade  fe  extensive. 

Guadaeoupe  belongs  to  France,  and  exports  are  sent  to 
that  country. 

Virgin  Islands  are  a group  of  upwards  of  ioo  small  islets 
belonging  to  different  nations. 


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